Africa! To some it may sound scary, dangerous or full of disease. But to us, it is the first place we traveled overseas 15+ years ago where the Lord opened our eyes to the great needs in the world both spiritually and physically and it forever has our hearts. It was in Midigo, Uganda (a 95% Muslim community) where we fell in love with the people and beauty of Africa in the midst of some of the most extreme poverty and spiritual darkness on earth and God called us to GO!
This summer, after many years focusing on Asia, an open door for our family to return to Africa was made possible. Where do we even start….
Gather Them All
We were requested to host a conference for the entire church! As hundreds filled the sanctuary at CC Midigo, praises filled the room, Bond was able to share the Word on the theme “Answering the Call of God”. God has a call on each one of our lives and it is up to us to say YES and obey whether we are a school teacher, farmer, business person or pastor.
Heather was able to share with the ladies as part of the Women’s Fellowship. There is something about the simplicity of teaching under a tree with chickens walking through the time of study that makes us smile. The women were eager to grow and not settle for mediocre, but they just need instruction and thankfully God’s Word has it all for us!
Breanna and her classmates had focused on Africa and raised funds to minister to the children at the school in Uganda. We hosted an outreach and Breanna was able to see all of the hard work she had put forth, bless other children. The kids all heard about God’s great love for them, His beautiful purpose for their lives, we played games, prayed for them and got to give them a snack and soda which is a rare treat! The fun part was they invited Breanna to be a part of the dance team for the school assembly and without any prompting she joined in and wowed the kids with her moves! In addition, Breanna got to distribute school supplies to many children and give outdoor equipment for the school. As her parents, we were so overjoyed to see her engage in so many ways with the kids and to represent her own school and the Lord well.
God’s Word Never Fails
What started as discipleship classes many years ago, blossomed into a School of Ministry and has now become a Bible College that is equipping men for ministry. Bond was able to spend his days and any free time he had instructing and teaching the book of Daniel. It was exciting to meet the new class and next generation of leaders that will serve the Lord and be sent out. Equipping people in the Word is our passion and to be able to do that in a region that is moving the needle and taking ground for Christ is absolutely remarkable. Please pray for the bible college students, missionaries, pastors and leaders that are serving in the bush!
With our African summer coming to a close, we turn our hearts and sights to the fall. We will be heading to Nepal in November and then flying to S. Asia to close out the year. We will be teaching the students at two CBI campuses, meeting with all of the national pastors, hosting graduation ceremonies, scouting new areas for future church plants, lifting up the arms of our brothers and sisters who serve in unreached areas and sharing good news along the way. These regions have endured tremendous persecution in recent days and we must be careful in what we share while we are away, so please pray for a fruitful time and that we would finish 2023 well for God’s glory!
We marveled at God’s faithfulness as we sat down to share just a snippet with you from our African summer. There are students, bible college grads, pastors, women and children who have turned from darkness to light. There are churches and villages and remote regions where there was not one Christian and now the light of Jesus is now shining and churches are thriving causing radical change to communities. You are a part of that! Your partnership, prayers, financial support and encouragement make it all possible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
With Love,
Bond, Heather and Breanna
