And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20
What's new this week
Muslims are our neighbours, our colleagues and sometimes even family members. Many of us are unsure how to talk about Islam and are reluctant to engage on religion. Don't be afraid. Our Islam Resources page has tools to help.
Have a look at the "To help you understand", as well as the Courses sections on the page. The evangelistic tools are to train you or give you things to share with your Muslim friends.
new for you
Missionary profile – Lynn Uwimana
We set off on a Sunday from different homes and met in Kampala. On Monday, we left for Pallisa to visit a missionary family before proceeding to Kaabong. The family hosted us for the night.
They introduced to us their family friend, a pastor; we had a fantastic time learning about God’s call on his life and the work he is doing. On Tuesday, we started our 12 hours’ journey to Kaabong. We have numerous stops as the car kept breaking down.
Anyone who has used the Kotido-Kaabong road knows only a 4X4 car can handle it.
Missionary profile – Agnes Joy Natukunda
Recently, Rev. Alex Alinaitwe, Archdeacon of Nkoma Archdeaconry in Western Uganda, allowed several of us to visit the Rwamwanja refugee camp to encourage the people and distribute some essentials.
Two ladies and a gentleman from our Anglican church heeded the call to go. A friend offered to drive us, though we had to fuel his vehicle. It took 8 hours to reach the centre.
We found people from Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo who had been waiting for us in the church since morning.
“She always stood by the door” – a missionary moment
Happiness came to us after both of her missionary parents were killed in northern Nigeria by religious extremists. She was only two years old, and I gave her the name Happiness prophetically, believing the words of Isaiah 51.
Initially, she was very confused and would sleep in the afternoon but her nights were used to guard the door and watch the outside, wondering if the invaders were coming back.
Though she was so little, she had a good share of trauma as she struggled with the reality of her new environment and the possibilities of her new-found family being a mirage.
"We laughed so hard" - a missionary moment"
My team and I work among French and Arabic speakers. French is a trade language while Arabic is a heart language for most of our neighbours. Since we arrived in this town, my team and I have been working hard to present the gospel through culturally appropriate ways. So we decided to learn The Story of The Prophets – Taarikh al-anbiya – which starts with the life of Adam and Eve and ends with our Lord Jesus and how he sacrificed his life to pay for the sin that entered the world through Adam and Eve.
Missionary profile - Frederico Catihe
My name is Frederico Catihe. Since January 2018 I have been working with Campus Crusade for Christ, or Cru, which is a member of IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students).
I was born in the province of Huambo, Angola, in Southern Africa. My grandfather was the Pastor of a Congregational Church. Since very young, I attended the Evangelical Congregational Church.
I was born during the time of the civil war in Angola, on 15 January 1978. I saw many ugly things during the civil war, and because of the civil war I didn’t know my father. I am the last of five siblings.
“The kids gave me a new name” – a missionary moment
Six years ago, I was sent to the mission field in Malawi among the Yao people for three weeks for an internship with Calvary ministry (CAPRO). The mission had been running a primary school for two years, and I was instructed to motivate the kids on the importance of education. Three days each week, I was to help teach religious education. I told him I could motivate the kids, but I couldn’t teach because I have never been a teacher before. My supervisor insisted that I could do it.
“A muslim environment requires patience” – a missionary moment
The Fellowship of Christian Unions (FOCUS) in Kenya is a large organization which disciples and trains up Christian leaders from among university students. Their Short-Term Experience in Ministry (STEM) programme sends young people out to assist in communities and churches. This year, we received reports from several young women who went out to teach in schools among less-reached peoples and refugees. Each of them reported good strides in academic achievement among their students, but also an interest in spiritual matters from the children and the forming of relationships in the community.
4 ways busy pastors can engage in missions
While most pastors would agree they want their church to engage in missions, it’s easy for missions to become an afterthought or goal for after things are taken care of here. But if we truly believe God has called the church to send missionaries, how can a busy pastor practically arrange their time and schedule to help the church engage in missions? This article on the TEAM website by Anna Price gets into the details with some practical examples and encouragements as to how you can encourage your church into the PURPOSE of missions.
Missionary profile - Esther Okello
I am Esther, from Nyeri county Kenya; I did my bachelor’s degree in Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
On 20th June 2017, I finished my last exam, and the reality of transiting from school to the marketplace got real. I was both joyful and anxious, with humongous dreams to pursue.
I had sat in a Bible study facilitated by Missions Campaign Network (MCN) Angaza student one year before. All eight sessions were about unreached people groups and the unreached world blocs – new, strange new things I had never encountered as a church attendant since I was a toddler.
“"We couldn’t bribe death” – a missionary moment
In January 2008, my wife and I were reading the Scriptures and Genesis 12:1 literally jumped off the pages, which says “Leave your country and your father’s house and go to a land I will show you.” I remember telling my wife, “Honey, by the end of this year we will not be in Ghana.” What we didn’t know was how, when or where, but the message was very clear. By June, God had kicked me out of Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire and my wife had gone to Canada to study.
"They come to fetch water" - a missionary moment"
In 2023, I moved out from the city to my new mission field in the northwest of Mozambique, 100km from the town where I used to stay and work. My predecessor, from Australia, had retired. I am of the same tribe and language of the people in that Muslim village, though from across the border in Malawi. Therefore, I thought it would be simple to interact with them. I actually found out that they were afraid to talk to me, even to say hi! I could see fear and doubt in their faces.
I tried to find out why, and was surprised to hear that they were afraid of strange westerners, thinking that they were in the business of buying and selling human body parts.
Global interactive peoples map from Joshua Project
Joshua Project has produced an incredible interactive map which shows all the people groups of the world. View the world from a birds-eye view, or click on the map to see details about countries, peoples, languages and more. You can use this map as a resource to pray, to gather information for your small group or church, or just as an interesting exercise in learning about the world. Joshua Project is a great resource for all of us, one worth using and interacting with.