Newsletter – November 2022
We are delighted to share your November newsletter with you.
As 2022 comes to a close, take a look back with us at some of the ways your support has made a difference this year. Plus, read about our recent visit to Guatemala and pray with us for an unreached village in Myanmar.
Thank you for all your prayers and support to see the World reached for Christ! It really does make a difference in lives and communities.
Continue to pray with us as we press on with our goal of planting 1 million viable churches by 2030.
Download your UK newsletter – Nov 22
Download your USA newsletter – Nov 22
Download your Afrikaans newsletter – Nov 2022
Download your South African and International newsletter – Nov 22
Download your Dutch newsletter – Nov 22
A Low Flying Plane and a Forgotten Missionary
The breath-taking Amazon rainforest covers a third of the continent of South America. It is home to an estimated 400 indigenous tribes, each with their own culture, language and territory. “It’s a wild place,” warns Francois Rauch, Global Director for Church Planting, who was part of the Harvesters team that visited earlier this year.
So, how do we plant churches in such remote places?
Working with Local Partners
To best reach the hidden and lost people of the Amazon, Harvesters works alongside local pastors and missionaries.
One of our partners is Marcio Rempel from Missions from Heaven, who flies low along the mighty Amazon River network looking through the overgrown jungle for settlements. “There’s a village, there’s a village,” he says to himself, “no church there, no church there.” His ever-expanding knowledge of the area makes him a “crucial partner” for us explains Francois.
The tribes are wary of all outsiders, who each arrive for different reasons – varying from simply sharing the Gospel to creating drug-trafficking networks or exploiting their land. “If you’re not careful, they will shoot at you,” says Francois.
Therefore, any connection needs to be handled wisely and sensitively – and should be covered by prayer.
A Forgotten Missionary
In a hidden place along the Biá River lives a missionary. “Nobody knows who he is,” says Francois. “He’s not on the radar of anyone. His church has forgotten him. He’s just a missionary that’s out there – but he loves people.”
Upon finding him one day while scouting the terrain, Marcio offered the missionary some help with his work. He explained about Harvesters’ evangelism, discipleship and church planting strategies. The missionary was afraid, saying, “I’m not the man for this.”
“I don’t have the tools, I don’t have the influence, I don’t have a mentor. I have no one,” he said.
“However,” the missionary continued, “I have done a little on this part of the river with indigenous people. A small work in comparison. I haven’t done much but I’ve led people to Christ, and I’ve baptised 600 new believers.”
God is at Work
Six hundred precious new believers in the Amazon are ready to be discipled in their young faith… and this is the man Marcio found! God is evidently connecting people together and we praise Him!
From October, this community will form churches to disciple these believers.
“Harvesters Ministries dreams about planting a viable church in every community on the Amazon River system and eventually into the most remote places imaginable, and training a pastor for every new church,” shares Steven Loots, Harvesters’ founder and CEO.
“We just found this group of indigenous people who really needed a church and needed to be discipled,” says Francois. “So, if you’re discouraged, let me encourage you today – God is at work!”
Pray With Us: Ethiopia’s Hunger Crisis
While Ethiopia is facing a hunger crisis, church leaders are seeking to reach their struggling nation for Christ. Below are some prayer points you can use to lift them up in prayer.
Hunger Crisis
Agriculture has been the foundation of the Ethiopian economy for centuries, but years of over-cultivation and unreliable weather caused frequent droughts and famines.
Then due to the conflict in Ukraine, food prices skyrocketed. This spelt disaster for Ethiopians who, like many of us, rely on imports from that region. This landlocked nation is struggling.
Furthermore, a terrible civil war grips the Tigray region. The UN says more than five million people are in urgent need of food in northern Ethiopia.
It is estimated that every 48 seconds a person dies from hunger in East Africa.
In the midst of this, we know that the local church is God’s vehicle for bringing hope to the suffering. So, Ethiopian pastors are learning how to disciple believers and reach the lost.
Pastors are Ready to Reach the Lost
Thinus Botha, Regional Director for East Africa, has just visited Ethiopia – Africa’s second most populated country. Sadly, it also has the highest number of unreached people groups in East Africa.
In Addis Ababa, the capital city, a group of pastors presented sermons and evaluated each other as part of their Phase C training on Sermon Preparation.
“Everyone was fired up and the Holy Spirit ignited the passion for souls in all of our hearts once more,” Thinus shared. “We all cried out to the Lord for more opportunities to share Jesus with the lost.”
Thirty Eager New Pastors
Over in the beautiful and bustling city of Adama – a 90-minute drive from the capital – thirty new pastors gathered to learn about Harvesters’ church planting methodology. In the background, singing voices rose from the nearby Coptic Church, which is very active in the area.
“This is a place where the harvest is truly ready,” said Thinus. “We started a new stream with 30 very eager, on fire and able servants of God. What a time we had in the presence of the Lord. As I shared about Harvesters and what we do, everyone just stood to their feet and said, “here I am, Lord Jesus, send me!” All of them committed to planting at least one new church in the next year.”
Ethiopia’s struggling and starving people will receive support from these churches as they bring the hope of Jesus to them.
Will You Pray for Ethiopia?
- Ask God to provide for the hungry men, women and children in Ethiopia. Pray that the global population would better steward the ground, crops and food that He has given to us.
- Pray for the 30 new pastors who have each committed to plant one church in the coming year. Pray that they would know God’s Word, preach faithfully to the lost, and plant churches through evangelism.
- Cover Ethiopian pastors in prayer as they lead people through severe hunger and droughts across their land.
- Thank the Lord for the people of Ethiopia. Pray for a revival in this nation.
Watch the Video
Source
4 Benefits of Harvesters’ Training
There are numerous ways that Harvesters’ training brings support to pastors and communities around the world. Including:
- Teaching the Word,
- Reaching the lost,
- Discipling believers, and
- Planting viable churches.
Our six-semester course covers a range of topics from theological foundations to the practicalities of leading a church.
But even better than hearing it from us is hearing from participants themselves!
Below, two Kenyan pastors, Ps Joseph Omollo and Ps Martin Agilo, describe four benefits of going through Harvesters’ training.
1. Personal Transformation and Discipleship
The three-year course begins by examining the disciplined life of a Christ-follower. “We learned about the disciplines of abiding, praying and reading the Word,” recounts Ps Joseph, who explains that putting them into practise has enriched his spiritual life.
Furthermore, knowing how to walk a disciplined life has enabled these pastors to disciple others along the same path. “Previously I didn’t know how to do discipleship, but because I was discipled first, I can now disciple other members of my church,” says Pastor Martin. “I’ve seen people growing in faith because of the discipleship class that we started.”
2. How to Plant Churches
“We didn’t know how to start a church,” expressed the pastors. They confessed they believed planting a church would require “a big crusade” and “so much money” and “instruments, land and buildings.”
“But from Harvesters I learned that you can just plant a church – very simply,” explained Ps Joseph; and Ps Martin shared, “I’ve come to learn that church planting needs just me and a few people that I’ve preached to who’ve been saved.”
Both pastors have already planted two churches and will plant their third churches this year.
3. How to Preach
Previously, Ps Joseph confessed he would preach two-hour sermons which were “jumbled” and “not organised”, and Ps Martin acknowledged that he used to attend church not knowing what he would stand up and preach about. “Before when people were worshipping, I would fetch my Bible to get a verse to speak on,” he shares.
After learning from Harvesters, Ps Joseph now preaches around 25 minutes, and “it’s very organised because I start with the introduction, and I have points which are short and condensed.”
And Ps Martin attends church more confidently now “because I’ve been taught how to get a message. I’ve learned how to interpret a verse, how to interpret the Bible through hermeneutics, and I’m very confident in my preaching. I preach things that I understand, and I believe that those who hear me also understand the things that I’m preaching to them.”
4. Strengthened relationships with their elders
Both Pastors admit that relationships with their church leaders were strained. “I used to want to remove this one and then another one,” confessed Ps Joseph, and Ps Martin expressed that in his church they “would always quarrel with each other” because each was unsure what the other was responsible for.
But now, relationships have improved drastically! “Today I can work with them. That is an improvement I’ve found from this ministry,” says Ps Joseph.
Ps Martin is relieved that “now, all of us in our church know what I am supposed to do, what the elder is supposed to do, what the treasurer is supposed to do.”
These are just a few of the outcomes of your support and prayers. Thank you.
Revival in Zambia: New Pastors in Training
Church planting through Harvesters continues after more than 22 years in Zambia!
In fact, it is thriving. In the last three years, nearly 100 churches have been planted through evangelism. Moreover, over 240 new pastors have signed up to join this church planting movement.
A Revival in Zambia
In July, Beyers Brink, Regional Director for Southern Africa, and Licensed Trainer Pierre Botha spent a few weeks travelling along the Zambian border conducting training.
Battling the worn and difficult roads to Kitwe, Zambia’s second largest city, became worth it when greeted by 70 enthusiastic pastors. Each was eager to learn from Harvesters how to better reach their community for Christ.
It was just as rewarding to drive for four hours westward to Solwezi, where over 170 pastors and leaders awaited their introduction to Harvesters.
Reverend Robinson Muzeya was part of the visiting team. He has been planting churches using the Harvesters principals for over 20 years and was overjoyed to see the numbers gathered.
“It’s as though it’s a revival!” he said, filled with hope for his beloved nation. “We really praise God for what is going to happen in Zambia.”
For local pastor, Jonathan Banda, the arrival of Beyers and the team was an answer to prayer.
A Long Time Coming
Ps Jonathan first heard about Harvesters three years ago, and he knew his town needed this training.
“There are so many pastors who are not trained as pastors,” he explained. “They do not have the Word of God. You know, if you have zeal but you don’t have knowledge, it becomes dangerous.”
When the pandemic brought everything to a halt, Ps Jonathan prayed. For two years he prayed that God would open the way.
Earlier this year he received the phone call that Harvesters was coming to Solwezi. “I was so excited, and I began to tell all the pastors in Solwezi whom I know,” he recalled. “I spoke to so many pastors and we had more than 170 pastors who attended from different churches. We are giving glory to God for what Harvesters is doing. Thank you so much, Harvesters!”
No Slowing Down
Over in the north-western corner of Zambia live the Luvale tribe.
Harvesters Licensed Trainer, Pierre Botha, has been working among these people for the last few years. He recently delivered Phase D training (Old Testament Survey) to a group in Chavuma, and Phase B training (Preparing for Ministry) in Zambezi.
He was astonished to hear their reports. Despite the pandemic, they continued to evangelise and plant churches. Over the last three years, 45 new churches have been planted around Chavuma, and a further 50 around Zambezi!
That’s nearly 100 churches since 2019. Praise God for His work in Zambia!
Your gift today can provide training materials to pastors who are eager to best reach their communities for Christ. Just $15 (£12/R250) will provide a pastor with a biblical training manual and see them better equipped to evangelise, disciple and plant churches.
Watch the Video
Pray With Us: Eastern Europe
We’re excited to announce Harvesters’ expansion into Eastern Europe!
Thanks to your prayers and support, we’re starting evangelism, discipleship and church planting training in Eastern Europe. So, as we establish connections and follow God’s guidance, we ask you to join with us in prayer for the work ahead. Find some prayer points below.
Eastern Europe is a rich collection of diverse people groups and cultures – and God has had His hand on each individual since before the world began. Now, Harvesters wants to join in with the rhythm of God’s heartbeat in this region.
Eastern Europe: A Place Full of Variety
In terms of religion, the Orthodox Church is dominant in many of the countries. It teaches that a right relationship with the religious system equates to a right relationship with God.
However, increasing influence from the West is diluting its grasp. Although that sounds like good news for Christian missionaries, there can be confusion between the gospel message and other offerings from the West – i.e. prosperity, questioning of authority and declining morality.
Clearly, this presents an opportunity to share the True Gospel.
In addition to Eastern Orthodoxy, there are many followers of Roman Catholicism and Islam, particularly in the Balkans.
A Door to the Balkans
The Balkans is a region in southeast Europe which takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch through Bulgaria. It has a population of over 55 million.
While attending a conference in Hungary in 2019, Regional Directors for Eastern Europe, Ad and Karin Scheurwater, were reassured that “doors are open in the Balkans; we should walk through them!”
Later in 2019, Ad and Karin visited Craiova, Romania; a town strategically situated near the Serbian and Bulgarian borders. Thus, making it a “springboard for missions to the Balkans,” they explain.
Making Connections
During their time in Romania, Ad and Karin met one leader who wants to plant churches according to the “2 Timothy 2 verse 2 principle” so they shared with him the Harvesters church planting model. “We prayed together for a continuous cycle of discipleship and training, wherein God provides the growth and the fruit!” they said. “Our shared vision is to reach the Balkans and beyond.”
In 2021, they visited Romania again and then Bulgaria where they met Radko, a local Roma whose focus is on church planting and discipleship among the Roma population. His prayer is to see a significant movement of God in the Balkan nations!
Evidently, God is connecting people with the same heart and vision for this region. Soon Radko will be among many of these connections who will participate in Harvesters training.
Prayer Points for Eastern Europe
- Thank the Lord for our contacts in this new region. Ask God to provide more ‘men and women of peace’ (Luke 10:6). Pray for open doors to present the Disciple Makers course.
- Pray for a Christian world view to replace believers’ old communist ideology and for a revival among nominal Orthodox Christians. Pray for the True Gospel to saturate this region.
- Bulgaria: Pray for the upcoming visit to present Harvesters’ discipleship training and deepen our relationships in this country.
- Romania & Serbia: Ask God to uplift tired pastors who are disappointed that church attendance is down post-Covid. Pray for God’s leading as we make more connections in these countries.
Source
Newsletter – August 2022
We are delighted to bring you your August 2022 newsletter. Inside you will find updates from our work in the Amazon and Peru.
Plus, read powerful stories of transformation from Harvesters’ pastors who come from Muslim backgrounds but now preach the Good News of Christ.
We trust you will enjoy reading how your support is making a difference in the lives of individuals and communities.
Download the UK Newsletter – August 2022
Download the South Africa and International Newsletter – Aug 2022
Download the USA Newsletter – Aug 2022
Download the Afrikaans Newsletter – Aug 22
Covertly Training Pastors
Out of all 195 nations in our world, this Asian nation is the 17th most difficult place for Christians to live out their faith.
That’s because our fellow believers are struggling under the increasingly centralised control of the Communist Government. In fact, surveillance is among the most sophisticated and oppressive in the world, with restrictions on free speech and a harsh penal code designed to keep people in line.
Church attendance is heavily monitored and more and more churches are being closed down. It is illegal for children (under 18s) to attend church.
Furthermore, if someone is found to convert from Islam or Buddhism, their communities and families inflict social pressure and sometimes violence upon them to reconsider their faith decisions.
The Church is Determined
Christian leaders tend to be the targets of the worst surveillance but they are not deterred.
Local leaders are using Harvesters training to grow deeper in their faith and reach their nation for Christ. It is a hidden but active endeavour.
“Even though there are fears and uncertainties, we refuse to sit and wait. We keep moving to different places to fulfil our discipleship training call with boldness,” testified Brother T* who recently conducted an outreach in a western region.
“The results are beautiful,” he said. “Saved souls are coming to the Kingdom every day.”
This country has huge needs. For example, there is a severe mental health crisis (it has one of the highest suicide rates in the world), a staggering divorce rate and as many as 13 million abortions per year. Its position as a strong economy has brought wealth for some but has widened the disparity between the rich and the poor.
Yet, under persecution and crisis, the Church has defied the odds and grown. With only 2.7 million Christians in 1975, it is now home to as many as 75 million believers!
You see, a vast network of house churches has arisen with astounding growth that cannot be ignored.
We Are Training Pastors
Earlier this year, Harvesters covertly conducted church-planting training with 100 local leaders. They reported two months later that they had planted 14 new churches through evangelism!
Praise God who continues to Open the Way.
Thanks to generous givers like you, Harvesters was able to provide each of the 100 house church leaders with a Bible. Now they can study the scriptures and help to disciple others.
You Can Help
Training pastors in closed countries like this is a difficult and dangerous task. In fact, these pastors risk everything not only to follow Christ, but also to share their faith and disciple others.
Harvesters pushes on with the mission to reach the lost and plant churches in communities that have no church. Here and beyond.
Work like this cannot continue without your support. So, give today and help to grow the Kingdom of God in closed countries just like this!
*Name withheld for protection
Sources
Pray with Us: Thailand
Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. – Hebrews 13:3
Thailand is a beautiful but bound nation. Although millions of tourists flock there every year to enjoy the beaches and temples, many who live there are suffering and in bondage.
As local leaders are being trained by Harvesters Ministries to go deeper in Christ and reach out to their nation, we call upon you to pray with us for Thailand.
Thailand means “land of the free,” yet it is home to many who live in bondage. Despite a relatively stable and industrialised economy, sex trafficking, drugs and organised crime are rampant. It is estimated that over 425,000 people are living in slavery.
For hearts that are broken, lives that are in bondage and a nation in darkness, there is only one hope: Jesus Christ. The local church is God’s vehicle to bring His hope to the world.
That’s why Harvesters Ministries is passionate about planting churches through evangelism in communities where there is no church.
It is estimated that there are only 6,000 churches in Thailand. A staggering 99% of the population is unreached with the Gospel.
Recently, 40 leaders from minority people groups in northern Thailand attended Harvesters’ training in Chiang Mai. They have been mobilised and challenged to reach their nation for Christ. This is not an easy task in a predominately Buddhist country and we need to pray for the Thai Church.
Prayer Points
- Thank the Lord for the Christians in Thailand and pray for God to give them strength, wisdom and an urgency to reach the lost.
- Pray for the Gospel to effectively permeate this culture of Buddhism, spiritism, and the occult. Pray for explosive growth in the church to reach all 80,000 villages.
- Pray that that those who participate in the training will be transformed from the inside out and mobilised to make disciples.
- Sex trafficking, drugs, and organised crime are rampant. Pray for moral conviction to fall on those who oppress others for profit via the sex and drug trade.
- Pray for the 7 million Muslims of Thailand to be reached with the Gospel. Islam is the second largest religion. The majority of the 500,000 believers in the Thai Church come from a Buddhist background, so the labourers who can share the Gospel across cultural boundaries to reach the Muslim community are few.
Watch the Video
Sources
Bibles Delivered! You Have Put Joy into Hearts
Thanks to supporters like you, 700 Zulu-language Bibles have been given to believers in South Africa!
Many who received one have never held a Bible in their hands and were truly grateful. People like Elizabeth Khumalo who received her very first Bible on her 67th birthday from Harvesters. She said:
“My heart is rejoicing as if I see the Lord right in front of my eyes! It’s my first day of joy in my heart.”
Harvesters Ministries visited churches in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa to distribute Bibles and to deliver training. In fact, we even got a royal seal of approval to open the way in a new nation!
Believers Received Bibles for the first time
Can you imagine hearing about Jesus, choosing to follow Him, joining a newly planted church… and not having a Bible to grow deeper in your faith?
This is the reality for so many believers around the world – which is why it is one of our aims to distribute Bibles to those who need them.
In May 2022, Harvesters visited the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa where nearly 200 churches have been planted through evangelism.
The KwaZulu-Natal province on the east coast of South Africa is generally mountainous. The land rises 11,000 feet from its long shoreline on the Indian Ocean, boasting an abundance of natural beauty.
The team visited 33 churches in mountainous villages such as Ingwavuma, Sicabazini, Manguzi, Mboza and Shemula, bringing Bibles to those who have never had one.
Mamma Francene is 86 years old. She is illiterate but she wanted to receive a Bible. When asked how she will be able to read the Word, she replied:
“My grandchild will read it for me. I will understand the Word of God because I love God.”
Pastor Ntombi Buthelezi, who is almost finished with her Harvesters training, received 15 Bibles at her church. She is delighted that her congregation can now study God’s Word together. She said:
“At church, when we do studies, we use our Bibles – we open it, we go through the verses. If you don’t have a Bible, then you can’t do all of this. [Receiving Bibles] even helped the individuals at home. To have a Bible is a treasure.”
A Royal Welcome to a New Nation
Additionally, Harvesters conducted training with pastors in Ingweni village which is just 2km from the Eswatini border. Some of the pastors are from Eswatini and they will soon begin planting churches in their home country using Harvesters’ church planting model.
Eswatini – formerly Swaziland – is a small, landlocked country in Southern Africa. The team could see the border from outside the church building.
The training took place on Friday and Saturday. On the Sunday, the team was invited to a special service which takes place once a quarter when all the denominations in the area come together.
Also in attendance was Prince Mngomezulu of the Royal Family of Eswatini. A very special guest, who had come to worship the King of kings.
“We asked if he is a Christian,” said Beyers Brink, Regional Director for Southern Africa. “Then we discovered he is a pastor.”
Prince Mngomezulu stood and welcomed Harvesters Ministries. “That really opened up the doors for us in the southern part of Eswatini because that’s actually the area he is responsible for,” said Beyers.
Harvesters will return later this year to Eswatini to deliver further training and to encourage and equip the leaders who are eager to reach the lost and disciple others.
Watch the video
“Formerly We Were Ministering with Ignorance”
Thanks to supporters like you, Harvesters Ministries is providing pastoral training to hundreds of leaders in Kenya – pastors who have admitted that they previously struggled to adequately lead their churches and reach the lost. Now, as students of Harvesters, they cannot contain their excitement and newfound passion for the Great Commission.
Our mission is to see a church planted in every village! Read below how your support is growing the Kingdom of God in communities like Homa Bay, Bungoma and Siaya in Kenya – and scroll down to watch their testimonies.
Pursuing Growth in Homa Bay
Pastor Michael Omala has been ministering in Homa Bay for years. Now he is studying with Harvesters Ministries.
“We appreciate Harvesters Ministries for the teaching they’ve brought to us,” he rejoices, “because it is an eye-opener. Formerly, we were just ministering with ignorance. We did not know about the sound doctrine of the Bible but since Harvesters came, we have learned a lot and we appreciate it!”
“Thanks to their teaching, we have managed to open two churches in Homa Bay and one on the side of Migori.”
Lives Changing in Bungoma County
“The Harvesters Material is the best material!” declares Pastor Wenslaus from Bungoma County. He explains that the practical application of the course particularly impacted him. “The Harvesters material talks about life, real life! Business life, Christian life, marriage life, family life and everything else.”
He notes that other training has been presented in the past that was ultimately ineffective, but with Harvesters “we can see the tangible outcome,” he says. “Today we can count 100 churches because of the Harvesters church-planting model.”
Bungoma County has nine sub-counties and there are students of Harvesters present in each one. “So, we are trusting God to saturate Bungoma County with churches.”
“I count it not as a challenge,” Wenslaus continues. “It is a calling – for people to know Christ, people to be trained, people to be equipped for the glory of God.
Transformation in Siaya County
Pastor Calvin, from Siaya County, recounts how his own spiritual life was impacted when he became a student of Harvesters. “I was transformed!” he rejoices. “The 15 disciplines [which are outlined in Phase A of the curriculum] transformed my life! I put them into practice, and they have changed my life. My prayer life, my walk with God. There was one occasion that I was led to enter into the throne room of God. That’s because I was practising the discipline of the presence of God.”
“We are seeing churches being planted,” Pastor Calvin continues, “Me personally, I have planted five churches according to the Harvesters church-planting model.” He has plans to plant a further two churches by the end of this year.
Vision for the Future
So far Harvesters has planted a total of 702 churches through evangelism in Kenya. By March 2023 our goal is to have 1404 churches, thus doubling the ecclesiastical footprint.
Dylan Agoye, our country leader for Kenya, has a vision to plant 20,000 churches in Kenya by 2030.
You can partner with us and see that dream realised! For just £8/$10/R150 a month you can provide a pastor with three years of practical and theological training – plus give them a Bible in their own language! Each student is equipped to reach the lost, plant churches and disciple believers. Partner with us today to see communities won for Christ!
Watch their Stories:
Pastor Michael Omala from Homa Bay
Pastor Wenslaus from Bungoma County
Pastor Calvin from Siaya County
Pray With Us: Displaced People in East Africa
Did you know?
- Refugees and internally displaced people are those forced from their homes because of extreme conflict or natural disasters.
- In 2020, despite Covid-19, the number of people forcibly displaced rose to 82.4 million – the largest number ever recorded.
- Natural disasters displaced three times as many people as conflict in 2020.
- The most common disasters in Africa are droughts, floods, storms and cyclones.
- In East Africa, drought has caused the most displacement and death.
Needs Provide Opportunity
“Either displaced by wars or natural disasters, displaced people have become the planting, watering and harvesting fields of the Christian Gospel,” states a report from ISF (Institute for Strategic Foresight).
“When people are physically traumatised, it opens up a spiritual door through which the Gospel of Jesus can bring healing.”
The report concludes that the 9 most in need countries of East Africa, measured in terms of displacement, include 7 nations where Harvesters Ministries is already active: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi Mozambique, South Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe. It also includes Somalia, where Harvesters hopes to open the way soon.
Pastoral Care in the Mission Field
Because of the physical and emotional trauma, it is recommended that future pastoral training should include some measure of disaster relief preparedness and basic aid work. If pastors are not adequately trained to support the need, the risk is that Islamic leaders (vying for religious influence in Africa) will reap a harvest.
Harvesters Ministries’ networks of churches in East Africa have already been mobilised to quickly respond to both conflict and natural disaster crises.
After Cyclone Idai, one of the worst tropical storms on record, hit Mozambique in 2019, Harvesters pastors were given disaster management training in addition to their on-the-ground experience. Therefore, they were able to respond to the numerous storms that have hit the same region since – including Cyclone Eloise in 2021 and Cyclone Batsirai in February 2022.
In Ethiopia, the local church mobilised to help their brothers and sisters in the war-torn northern region of Tigray. Pastor Samson explained, “The church is doing great things – mobilising resources from our churches in the city and from our members. We are trying to mobilise more because the need is very huge. People are literally starving.”
Harvesters is involved in two refugee camps in Northern Uganda – Bidi Bidi Camp and Rhino Camp. Prior to Covid-19, our country leader for Uganda visited these camps and saw many opportunities for Harvesters to provide pastoral training and help these precious people.
Prayer Points
As the Church in East Africa adapts to respond to the needs of their people, we will support them in prayer.
- Over 40 million people have had to flee their homes in search of safety in 2020. Pray that the Lord will intervene and we will see these numbers drop in the next few years.
- Pray for the Gospel to spread as the people of East Africa move about, despite the difficult reasons they are forced to go. Pray that Christian refugees will become missionaries wherever they place their feet.
- Pray for the believers and church leaders of East Africa as they rise to meet the needs of displaced people.
- Pray for the global Church’s heart towards the displaced. May we see them through the eyes of Jesus and treat them with compassion and love.
- 67% of refugees originate from just 5 countries! Some of the challenges the refugees face are language barriers, child raising in a foreign environment, securing work, securing housing, accessing services, transportation and cultural barriers. Pray that the Lord will help refugees with these challenges and that He will provide creative solutions for them!
Sources
Strategic Missions in a Time of Need Report from Institute for Strategic Foresight
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Your Support is Discipling the Children of Brazil
In the region of Pará de Minas in Brazil, a group of Sunday School teachers began to rethink the content of their lessons following the pandemic. A global shut-down had put many things into perspective.
They knew they needed to adequately prepare their young students for a life following Jesus in this rapidly changing world. The Harvesters Ministries training was a perfect solution!
The Need for a Fresh Approach
For almost two years, the church children of varying age groups had been unable to attend their Sunday School classes. As church gatherings slowly started again, the teachers were dissatisfied with the commercial materials they found. They wanted more solid teaching.
After all, Sunday School is not babysitting – it’s discipleship training. Each child has their own friends, their own mission field, where they are uniquely placed to share about Jesus. They are not the church of tomorrow. They are the church of today.
The Sunday School leaders reached out to their pastor for help.
Harvesters Discipleship Training was the Answer
Pastor Raimundo Duarte is receiving Harvesters’ training on church planting, discipleship and evangelism.
He decided to ask Harvesters to present a specific discipleship course for his Sunday School leaders, so that they could relay the teaching to their students.
Pastor Tiago de Oliveira Santos, a church pastor who also works as Director of Operations for Harvesters Ministries in Brazil, was invited to present foundational biblical teachings to the group – including what the church is, the meaning of the Gospel, the Great Commission, evangelism and assurance of salvation.
“I could not have received a better invitation,” said Tiago, “for we at Harvesters have a desire to bring sound doctrine back to churches and their ministries.”
Pastor Raimundo is committed to equipping the 15 Sunday School teachers in his church. “So far, three meetings have been held, one every month,” he explained. “The classrooms have a greater number of students in all age groups – and the teachers have more confidence and boldness in sharing the Word of God!”
Looking to the Future
“I have two plans for the future,” Pastor Raimundo explained, “one in the medium term and one in the long term. The first is that these same teachers also begin to impact the regions where they live. I am encouraging them not only to minister within the temple premises, but to start work in their own homes and, who knows, soon we will have more churches planted here in the Pará de Minas region.”
“The second plan is that we will have mature and experienced teachers who can transfer this knowledge to other teachers, focussing on exactly what the True Gospel, the Church, and the importance of making Disciples is. These are the main topics that we have learned together with the support of Harvesters.”
And probably the greatest goal of all is the future of the church that lies within the children being taught – the future leaders, evangelists and church planters of the Para de Minas region.
“This journey is just beginning,” says Tiago, “and our objective is to form a base for children, adolescents, youth and adults who are the answer for the present and the future of the church.”
“I count on your prayers that the Lord may bring forth His perfect Will through these lives and open the way for more people to know Him.”
Help Stop Believers Returning to Old Religions in Thailand
Pastors in Thailand are seeing new believers returning to old religions. And now they know why – because the church does not know how to disciple them, admits a local pastor.
Thailand needs your help to train new pastors to reach the lost and disciple others.
Welcome to Thailand
“Sawadee krap! Welcome to beautiful Thailand,” says Harvesters’ Regional Director for Southeast Asia. A stunning nation whose name translates to ‘The Land of the Free’.
The Regional Director explains the dichotomy he encounters when he spends time in the country. On one hand you see beautiful beaches, lavish temples and friendly people. But this is a front for what is hiding underneath the surface; a protected image for the 40 million tourists who flock to Thailand each year.
A second reality exists that is, sadly, a much darker picture. “Although Thailand is called ‘The Land of the Free’, in reality we see so many people who are caught up in bondage,” says the Regional Director. So many are bound by the permeating sex trade, human trafficking crisis, and drug and alcohol abuse.
A New Group Begins Training
The work of Harvesters Ministries began in Thailand in 2018. Then, in April 2022, the Harvesters church planting model was presented to a new group – sixty pastors from the Hmong Tribe.
More than seven million Hmong people in live China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. With an estimated 125,000 in Thailand, they are its second largest minority group.
“It was in the late 1950s that God called the first Hmong of Thailand to Himself,” explains the Regional Director, “and hundreds of the Hmong were converted to Christianity. Hmong followers of Jesus are a double minority: people of Chinese descent in a Thai society, and Christians in a Buddhist culture.”
The Hmong pastors face numerous challenges – including Christianity being watered down by lingering false beliefs, and opposition and prejudice. One pastor recalls how government soldiers surrounded a guest house, owned by a Hmong family, and destroyed the building. The pastor testified that he believes the demolition came from prejudice and persecution.
Discipleship is the Key
“As I introduce the Hmong pastors to the Harvesters Ministries’ methodology of Church Planting, one pastor tells me how hundreds of new-found believers have not understood the true message of the Gospel,” says the Regional Director. “They went back to their own beliefs because the church didn’t know how to disciple new believers.”
The local pastor acknowledged that this is the reason why their spiritual maturity never reaches the point of discipling others – which is Jesus’ commission for His Church.
There are so many in Southeast Asia who need God, who have never heard the Gospel and need to be discipled. Out of 109 people groups in Thailand, 74 are considered unreached. Harvesters is working to equip local pastors to reach their people. Your gift today will train a pastor in Thailand and beyond.
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Pray With Us for Central and South America
Central and South America consists of 19 nations; and is home to the mighty Amazon rainforest, two of the 7 Wonders of the World, and the longest above-water mountain range: the Andes.
With a population of around 614 million people, Central and South America need our prayers for spiritual awakening, development of leaders and cultural transformation.
Harvesters Ministries currently operates in Brazil, Guatemala and Argentina, but we are opening the way in new nations – with visits to Peru happening this month, and plans for Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile in the near future.
Revival and Spiritual Awakening
The majority religion in Brazil, Guatemala and Argentina is Roman Catholic. “They love God, but they haven’t found the full truth and the transformation of Jesus Christ,” says Francois Rauch, Regional Director for South America. “We need to pray for a spiritual revival.”
In addition, there are false beliefs from indigenous religions and secularism. Christianity is being watered down as many believers are not familiar with the Bible and are falling for false truths.
Training and Development for Leaders
Pastor Luissi Garcia, Country Leader for Guatemala, wants to see his nation equipped with pastors who are passionate to grow the church. “Through Harvesters we can support many pastors in Guatemala,” he says, “by teaching them to evangelise, disciple and plant churches.” Luissi recently held an evangelism training event for 25 pastors and 7 people got saved!
In Brazil, as the pandemic restrictions ease, training has resumed and church planting through evangelism is back in action in the urban areas. However, in the secluded settlements of the Amazon Rainforest people are still frightened of the pandemic and some pastors are reluctant to gather again for communion and church services.
In Argentina, evangelising and church planting has slowed. Pray as Harvesters reconnects with the pastors to support, encourage and challenge them. As the world overcomes the pandemic, Argentina needs to be won for Christ.
Cultural transformation
In 1996 Guatemala ended a 36-year-long civil war but its effects are still felt to this day. Gang and organised crime violence and drug trafficking test police and government control. Economically over half the population is living in poverty, with 40% of children under the age of five malnourished.*
“There are many people in Guatemala, as in the whole world, in need of love, forgiveness, salvation, and life transformation,” says Luissi. “People like the gang youth who are enslaved by their sin. We need a revival in Guatemala for them to repent and be free from their sin!”
Pastor Tiago Oliveira, Harvesters Manager for Operations in Brazil, calls for prayer as Brazil enters an election period. He explains that the candidates are against the Church and Christianity; and although the current president is supportive of Christian values, he can back down when challenged. “We ask the Lord Jesus to grant us a government according to His will,” prays Tiago.
In northern Argentina is a church plant of over 200 previous drug addicts who have found freedom in Jesus. “There have been success stories of people transformed by the church and the Word of God and strong leadership,” reports Francois. “We thank God as we see growth in that area. Let’s pray for more church plants.”
Prayer points:
- Thank the Lord for all the lives transformed and communities changed.
- Pray for revival across Central and South America. For believers to desire a deeper knowledge of the Bible. For the true Gospel to be known and shared.
- Pray for the pastors and leaders of these countries. Pray for wisdom as they lead churches, make disciples and evangelise. Pray for church leaders to exemplify Christlikeness, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
- Pray for the Church to saturate the nations with Christian values.
- Pray for godly connections to be made in Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile as we bring the Harvesters church planting model to these nations. Pray for the training that will take place in Peru this month with around 100 pastors.
*Source: prayercast.com
Newsletter – May 2022
Click the link to download the May 2022 newsletter. Inside is Matteus’ story from Mozambique, an update on church planting in Ivory Coast and some of Harvesters Ministries’ milestones.
Download the South African and International Newsletter – May 2022
Download the UK Newsletter – May 2022
Download the Afrikaans Newsletter – May 2022
Download the USA Newsletter – May 2022