Kanyike Family

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.“

                                            —Isaiah 60:1

This past month has been an exciting time for Arise Christian Fellowship.  For the past year and 3 months since the Church began we have been meeting on Sundays in a thatched roof structure.  While it was a very beautiful setting it was not always practical.  We could not always meet when we wanted because during the week it was a restaurant.  Also when it rained we often got wet and when it was hot it was really hot. The owners have been in the process of building a 3 story enclosed structure on the same  property just near the entrance.  They had approached us a couple of times in the past about renting it but it was just too expensive for our young church.  At the beginning of March the landlord called us again and this time said she really, really felt that we were supposed to have the top floor for our church and was willing to give it to us for half price.  We talked with the leadership and all felt that this was definitely from the Lord.

We had our first service on Palm Sunday…

We had our first service on Palm Sunday.  It was so exciting as everyone was coming in and looking around and commenting on having a “real church” or “real home”.  We were blessed to have Wes Bentley there for our first service.  He was able to encourage the church as well as exhort them in their personal relationships with Christ.  He spoke of how we all have the responsibility to share the gospel and asked each of them to share with at least one person that week and invite them to church.

Palm Sunday

Wes sharing.

 …their own Sunday School room!

Sunday School

One of the other blessings of having an entire floor for our church is that the children are able to have their own Sunday School room.  The children were just as excited as the adults to come in and find their own space with mats to sit on and tables to color at.

Immediately following the Palm Sunday service, we had a Baptism and family fun day for the church.  Where we rent from has a restaurant and pool.  We had decided that to celebrate our new building we should do something all together as a church.  1st we baptized the new believers as well as some who had put their faith in Christ long ago but had never been baptized. Afterwards, we swam, played Frisbee and soccer as well as ate lunch together.  It was really a sweet time of fellowship.  It allowed us time to talk and get to know one another better as a church family.  God also used it as an out reach as many people showed up to use the pool and eat at the restaurant who were not from our church. We are really thankful for this ministry and all what the Lord has allowed us to be a part of.

Apologetics

The Thursday after the family fun day we had Simon Woodstock, a guest speaker from  CC Bible College in California,  host a night of Apologetics.  We had about 50 people from around 5 different churches show up to learn more about the topic as well as to ask questions.  It was such a learning experience for me to hear the questions and difficulties people had with the Bible or sharing their faith.  It really could have gone on all night. One person had come with 2 sides of a notebook page filled with questions.  We are praying that in the future we could do this again.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the  ministry in Uganda!

In Him,

                          Brian, Jill,

                          Luke, Laylee,

                          and  Liana

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Praise the Lord for providing a building for Arise Christian Fellowship.

• Praise the Lord that Jill seems to be fully recovered for her lengthy illness.

• Pray for Jill as she is hosting a Women’s retreat in May and needs to find an affordable location.

• Pray for basket ball out reach planned this month at a local university.

• Pray for those who attended the apologetics night that they would continue to grow in their knowledge of God’s word and in sharing their faith.

• Pray for the weekly market outreach that may more would come to know you.

• Continue to Pray that we would truly “Arise and Shine” the light of Christ in this dark place.

• Pray for Brian as pastors and leads our ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship. Pray for all the ministries and leaders.

• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

                                             —Galatians 6:10

Dear Friends and Family,

We pray you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
This past Christmas we had the privilege of having a young South Sudanese girl,
Jackie, stay with us. She had come down from S Sudan so we could take her to an eye clinic in Jinja, about 3 hours south east of Kampala. Jackie is 16 and since she was 9 she has suffered with an eye problem that she was told was cataracts. In Jinja there is a very modern hospital that will do cataract surgery for free. We went down the week before Christmas for her to have the eye exam and hopefully the surgery. The doctor who examined her eyes was very nice but he told us that it was not cataract but a calcification of the cornea. The surgery for that is considered a transplant surgery and the doctor was not certain it could be done in Uganda. Needless to say, Jackie was very sad and disappointed. Instead of sending Jackie back to S Sudan for Christmas we asked her to stay with us through the holiday since we would be traveling to S Sudan on December 28 and she could travel with us.  Jackie is an orphan who lives with her elder brother’s family.

Opening presents

Church Christmas party

Jackie’s Family in Sudan

We had a special Christmas guest.

This was Jackie’s first time experiencing Christmas the way we do in the west.  It blessed us to see her spirits lifted as we celebrated Jesus’ birth in so many ways.  She was able to be a part of the Women’s Christmas party, the church Christmas party and Christmas

service, as well as to celebrate Christmas at Brian’s families house and open presents with the kids.  We were very blessed by our time with her and are still trying to find a way have her eye fixed. Please pray with us for her to be able to receive proper treatment and healing for her eye.

…Brian was asked to teach the chaplains…

Far Reaching Ministries has their chaplain training school in South Sudan.  On this trip Brian was asked to teach the chaplains for 2 weeks through the books of 1 and 2 Peter.    Brian loves teaching and discipleship, so was very happy to have the opportunity to pour into 102 chaplains.  He said that after the very first class he felt a connection to them.  He, and I as well, are humbled at their sacrifice to follow the Lord no matter the cost.  They were very open with us about their faith and families and they were not shy to ask questions when they had them.  One Chaplain, James, said he had been seeking confirmation that this was God’s will for his life.  He said that after the in depth study of Peter and time spent discussing it he now knows for certain he is on the right path.  Most of the chaplains shared how they could relate with the person of   Peter and what an encouragement it is that the Lord does not give up on us.  The children also enjoyed sharing with chaplains and interacting with them.  I believe the chaplains enjoyed them as well.

In Nimule we reconnected with Calvary Chapel Cush.

In Nimule we also had a great time reconnecting with the body of Calvary Chapel Cush as well as meeting new friends.  We spent New Years Eve worshiping with them and enjoying the lively music an dancing of the Sudanese.  The Sunday after New years eve Brian shared a message with the church about abiding in Christ.  The church was happy to receive it and they even played a special song for him. We continue to pray much fruit will come from our trip and the ministry in South Sudan.

Thank you for your faith prayers and support of the ministry in Uganda and for our family.

In Him,

                          Brian, Jill,

                          Luke, Laylee,

                          and Liana

PRAYER REQUESTS

· Giving thanks to the Lord for the great things He has done during our trip to Sudan .

· Pray for the chaplains to continue to grow in their faith and understanding of God and His Word.

· Pray for our family as Jill has been fighting bronchitis and an asthmatic reaction for 3 months now.

· Pray for Jill as once again teaches Women’s Ministry at All Nations Bible College.

· Continue to Pray that we would truly “Arise and Shine” the light of Christ in this dark place.

·  Pray for the leadership team at Arise as we pray and plan the ministries of this coming year.

· Pray for Brian as pastors and leads our ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship. Pray for all the ministries and leaders.

· Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

Dear Friends and Family,

We would like to wish you  a very MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A  HAPPY NEW YEAR!! We also would like to thank each of you for blessing us through your support and prayer for the ministry here in Uganda as well as for our family.  We have see the Lord do great things this past year in and through the ministry.  People all over Uganda and East Africa have been touched by the gospel. Many people have turned to Christ while others have had the seed planted.  Again we thank you for being a part of this ministry.  We look forward to what new things the Lord has for our family and ministry in 2016.

God Bless You and have a wonderful holiday season as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

In Him,

Brian, Jill,

Luke, Laylee,

and Liana

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”  — Ecclesiastes 3:1

Dear friends and family,

This month we have had much to rejoice over and also to mourn.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Arise Christian Fellowship celebrated its first birthday!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

This is the month that Arise Christian Fellowship celebrated its 1 year birthday.  It has been exciting to see what the Lord has accomplished in such a short time and in such unexpected ways.  In October last year we would have never expected that in one month we would have planted a church.  The  Lord had called Brian to minister to the men of the market place, many of whom are grown street kids.  They, along with many of the women from the market, chose to follow Christ and desired to know Him better.  This led us to hosting a baptism at a nearby pool which turned out to become where we meet on Sundays for church beginning with that Baptism.

Arise Christian Fellowship

1st Baptism

1st Church Service

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

We held our 2nd ever all worship and prayer service 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

In celebration of Arise Christian Fellowship’s first birthday we held our 2nd ever all worship and prayer  service (afterglow).  Many people who have helped the church along the way came to join in the worship.  We also saw many new faces that day brought by the very people we had been reaching out to last year.  We had 3 people give their lives to Christ and many who wanted to recommit their lives to Christ.  As I watched the congregation worship, pray for one another and participate in serving I was overwhelmed at the power the Lord has to change lives.  I am so blessed that the Lord has called us to these people and this ministry.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

A time to mourn 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

On a heavier note, this month I lost a beloved brother in-law, Dean Bober.  Dean was married to my eldest sister Julie.  They got married when I was just a toddler.  I have no memories of life or family with out him there.  His death was   unexpected and needless to say shocking for my sister.  I received the call on a   Saturday morning.  Immediately we made plans to travel to be with my sister and to mourn with the family.  It was something I knew I had to do but it also meant having to leave my kids in Uganda since there was no time to try and get an appointment for a visa.  We wanted to leave the kids with missionaries in Fort Portal, Doug and Destiny Calhoon,  since my kids know them well and they also have kids.  We purchased our air tickets then drove the kids 6 hours to their house, slept, then got back in the car and drove back to Kampala to pack and catch our flight to the states.   Our time in the states, less then 2 weeks was a flurry of emotions, much sadness and feelings of loss during the funeral and times of joy and seeing my family whom I had not seen in over 2 years and some who I had not seen in even longer who had come to the funeral. Please pray for my   sister and her sons and grandchildren as they learn to deal with their loss.

Dean, Julie and I -1st furlough from Uganda

Dean and Luke

My Mom , Dad and sister Jan’s Family

Thank you for praying for our family and the ministry in Uganda.

In Him,

             Brian, Jill,

             Luke, Laylee,

             and Liana

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Giving thanks to the Lord for the great things He has done.

• Pray for the new believers at Arise Christian Fellowship to grow in their faith and understanding of God and His Word.

• Pray for my family as the grieve the loss of my Brother inlaw, Dean.

• Continue to Pray that we would truly “Arise and Shine” the light of Christ in this dark place.

• Pray for the leadership team at Arise as we plan the Christmas service and Christmas events.

• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads our ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship. Pray for all the ministries and leaders.

• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails  much.                                – James 5:16 

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been a very fun and busy month for the ministry. Arise Christian Fellowship had ts first Afterglow service, our first baby dedication as well as hosting many visitors coming through the guest house.

For quite sometime we had been praying about having an extended time of worship and prayer (afterglow) at Arise. Most of our congregation are new believers and come from difficult backgrounds. We have been teaching them the word of God as well as the basics of the faith. We want them to have a true personal relationship with the Lord, to know how to communicate to Him and hear from Him. We decided that an afterglow that had worship, prayer and teaching / instruction through out would be a great way to get them immersed in God presence and learn how to better have a relationship with Him.

…we had been praying about having an extended time of worship and prayer…

Evelyn, our worship leader put together a whole worship team for this day. They led the church in over 30 songs of worship in a variety of different languages to allow the many different tribes to worship in the native heart language. Communion was available for believers to partake of as the worshipped and reflected on Christ and what he has done for us. You could see and hear people really connecting personally with the Lord.

Brian, his assistant Mukasa and one of our mature believers sat at the front so that people could come forward for prayer and to be anointed with oil if they were sick.  Knowing many people needed prayer they began with those who wanted to get saved and then the sick, those in need, for family members and then anything else people might need prayer for.  As the shifted from one topic to the next Brian would first share more about prayer and prayer in relation to the topic.  I would say by the end of the service every one had received prayer for something and 2 people gave their lives to Christ. Praise God for inhabiting the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).

…by the end of the service everyone had received prayer…

Many of you know that our family runs the FRM guest house in Kampala. Our busiest time of year is during the summer. We have had many teams coming through as they travel for a missions trip to S Sudan. It is fun to meet people from all over the states. This year we even had a team of 6 pastors from Russia.

…one of the teams decided to go to the market ministry with Brian.

When the teams have extra time in Kampala, they like to serve with Arise. This year one of

the most fruitful times was when one of the teams decided to go to the market ministry with Brian. We were a little unsure as the normal team is made up of solely Africans, this was the first time white people went. Pastor Joe McCormick, from Utah, shared with a group of about 30 men. He had grown up with a background not dissimilar to many of these guys. His message was well received. An older gentlemen was there who had been seeking answers about Christianity. He said Joe answered half of them. The following Sunday he showed up at church. He said his plan was to wait till after church to ask Brian the rest of his questions but that by the time the message was over all his questions were answered. After church he prayed with Brian and is now faithfully attending services. Joe and his team had a unique experience when after they had finished sharing with the men they were invited to come and share at the market women’s Bible study as well.

An older gentlemen was there who had been seeking answers about Christianity…he …is now faithfully attending services. 

The month ended with another first for Arise Christian      Fellowship.  We had our first baby dedication.  Besides our nephew, Ezekiel’s birth this was the first birth from one our church members.  We prayed for the family all the way through the pregnancy and when the baby was born the mother and father gave us the privilege of naming her.  We named her Hannah and then dedicated her to the Lord much like Hannah of the Bible dedicated her child to the Lord.  We pray she will grow to know and follow Jesus in all she does.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry in Uganda.

                                                    In Him,

Brian, Jill, Luke,  Laylee   and Liana

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Praise the Lord for all who have given their lives to the Lord during the market outreach and the afterglow.

• Pray for the new believers to continue to come to church and to grow in the Lord.

• Pray for baby Hannah’s parents to raise her to follow the Lord. Pray for health and provision for all of them.

• Continue to Pray that we would truly “Arise and Shine” the light of Christ in this dark place.

• Pray for Jill as she is hosting a one day women’s conference on how to biblically raise children. They will cover topics that are both spiritual and health related.

• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads our ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship. Pray for all the ministries and leaders.

• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

CONTACT  INFORMATION:

Brian and Jill Kanyike
Po Box 27658
Kampala, Uganda
East Africa

Email:
briankanyike@gmail.com

Jillwiencke@gmail.com

arisecf@gmail.com

SUPPORT  INFORMATION:

Calvary Chapel Saving Grace
17451 Bastanchury Rd  Suite 203
Yorba Linda, CA 92886

NOTE: Make checks payable to Saving Grace World Missions and specify gift is for Kanyike’s.

To give online:

www.sgwm.com/kanyike

Click the Become a Financial Partner button.

All gifts are tax deductible.

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  – 2 Timothy 2:2

Dear Friends and Family,

This month we saw the launch of the men’s ministry at Arise Christian Fellowship.

As you may remember the church was started as a result of men from the market place coming to Christ.  The growth we have seen in such a short time is nothing less than miraculous, especially considering the back ground of most of these men.  As they have been learning the foundations of the faith at t he market once a week and attending church on Sunday the men have been developing an even greater hunger for God’s word and for more instruction on how to apply it.  On Sundays after church they could gather around Brian and ask questions and share testimonies for hours.

This past month Brian decided it was time to designate an evening that was just for the men.  He wanted a time where not only would the men receive teaching but would also have ample time to share with one another and to learn how to apply what they have been learning to specific circumstances they may be going through.  Because of the men’s heavy work schedules, the have decided to begin with designating the 2nd Thursday of the month to the men’s fellowship.

Before the first meeting Brian did not know what to expect.  He did not know how many men would actually turn up, if they would be open and participate or if they would come just listen and then want to leave.  What happened was actually more than he ever expected.  28 men showed up, that is the majority of the men in our church.  He shared with them for just a short time then opened it up for discussion. No one held back, they all were sharing, asking questions, asking for prayer.  They began their   fellowship at 5:30pm and the last man left around 9:30pm.  Brian came back so fired up and encouraged himself with a vision that one day these same men, barely six months old in the Lord will be going out and planting churches, discipling others just as he is discipling them now.

I have mentioned how drastically these guys’ lives have changed.  A testimony I would like to share with you is of a young man called Alex, aka Rasta.  When Brian first started going to the market Rasta would come around but most of the time he would be standing off to the side, heckling them as they tried to teach or would come stoned and wearing clothes with foul language all over it.  One Sunday he even

Rasta (standing on the right) observing others getting saved

showed up to church barely able to stand as he was so stoned.  That day he was actually sat next to Vicky Bentely who, despite his foul appearance, took time to talk and share with him. Many people, even some of the market guys, told Brian it was not a good idea to have him around because he was no good.  Brian felt that as long as he was coming he was hearing God’s word and Brian believed God’s word would not return void.

Rasta was given a new testament Bible and after that seemed to go from heckling to asking questions and the questions went from attention seeking to a real inquisitiveness. Then one day Brian laid out the gospel for the guys and asked who wanted to receive Christ. Rasta was one of the guys who responded.

Rasta (in blue cap on the right) accepting Christ.

Almost immediately after that Rasta disappeared.  We feared that he had given into his flesh and had not made a real commitment to the Lord.  After about 6 weeks he showed up at church.  When he came no one even recognized him.  He no longer had dreadlocks, he was sober and he was dressed appropriately.  He shared with Brian that right after he got saved he was arrested for a crime he had committed in the past.  Instead of getting discouraged he said he used the time to meditate on the things Brian had taught him and attended all the church services the prison offered.  He was literally a new creation in Christ.  One of the amazing facts about that day was that Vicky Bentely (who is almost always in Sudan) was there and he was able to share this testimony with her as well.

His living testimony has affected many people around him.  One young man who used to buy drugs from Rasta heard of the change in him and began coming to church to see how the word of God could be so powerful.  Rasta’s mom and Brother came to church one Sunday to meet Brian.  The mom said she had considered Rasta dead.  The family had tried so many things to help him and get him treatment but it had all failed and she and come to terms that he was no longer her son.  She said his conversion is truly a miracle in their family and that her son has come back to life, from death.  Meeting her was truly a moving experience.  Rasta, who now goes by his real name, Alex is a new creation,  a living testimony of God’s saving and transforming grace.  Currently Alex is making bracelets with the name of the church on them to give to visitors who come to Arise Christian fellowship.

Thank you for your prayer and support of

our family and the ministry in Uganda.

In Him, The Kanyikes

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Praise the Lord for Destiny’s health.  Her surgery was successful and no further treatment is needed. Pray for her to continue to heal.

• Praising  the  Lord for  the Students at ANTS.  They have completed their finals well and will be returning  to their home countries.  Pray for them as they return to have opportunities to put into practice all they have learned.

• Continue to Pray that we would truly “Arise and Shine” the light of Christ in this dark place.

• Continue to pray for the new believers at the church and from the market that they would remain strong in their faith and continue to grow to be  testimonies of God’s saving grace.

• Pray for the upcoming outreaches we have planned for the summer and for those who will be participating in them.

• Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads our ministry team. Pray for all the ministries and leaders.

• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”    –Galatians 6:10

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Easter!

As missionaries we spend a lot of time reaching out to the lost.  We evangelize, go on missions trips to unreached areas and disciple new believers.  While these are good things it is also good to take the opportunity to help other believers with their ministries and to make time to encourage other ministers in the Lord.

This past month our family and most of the ministry team from Arise Christian Fellowship traveled 5 hours west to Fort Portal to encourage and serve the church and ministry team there at Calvary Chapel Fort Portal.

Pastor Doug Calhoon and his family traveled to the States at Christmas time so that his wife,  Destiny, could deliver their third baby.  While in the States, Destiny became aware of some serious health problems and is now seeking treatment.  Please keep her and their family in prayer during this time.

Doug’s Assistant Pastor, Nicolas has been teaching and leading the team at CCFP . Along with the help of the ministry team and missionaries Jo and Greg Clarkson,    Nicolas is doing a great job.  We, as a team, prayed and decided to set a side a long weekend to go and serve along side the CCFP team that they could have a rest and enjoy some fellowship and encouragement.  We were there for 5 days. While we were there to bless them I must say we left feeling like the ones who had been blessed.

The first ministry opportunity we had at the church was a night of worship.  We had a bonfire at the church. People from the church came to fellowship and worship together. Evelyn and Carole from our worship team played the guitar and sang.  We also had a potluck with a BBQ. During our time of worship a couple of youth passing by came and begin to ask questions about the church and Jesus.  Pray for Greg and Nicolas to have more opportunities to share with them and that they would give their lives to Christ.

On the Saturday we were there we spent the whole day at the church.  In the morning Evelyn spent time practicing with the worship team from CCFP.  She instructed them on timing, voice, and working together as they lead worship.  After worship practice we had a time of sharing what worship really is, that it is so much more then singing. Since our worship conferences last year, Evelyn has really had a heart to share with other worship leaders and teams about having a heart of worship.  It blesses me to see God using her in such an amazing way to bring others closer to Him though worship.

In the late afternoon I had the opportunity to teach the women.  I had been told they have been going through a book on living a life of worship.  I felt led to share with them about knowing God more.  I shared that to really live a life of worshipping God we must know Him and continue to seek to know Him more.  As I was teaching I told some personal stories of my walk with God that I had not planned on before hand.  After the teaching a couple of the ladies began to share that they had similar stories and had thought they were the only ones.  God is so good to put just the right words in your mouth when you need them.

On Sunday, Brian taught both services at CCFP.  The first service is all in English and the second service is English translated into Lutoro. The message he taught was called, Pleasing God.  To have the opportunity to share with the believers there was really a blessing for all of us.  We felt as if we were part of their body and I guess in reality we are.  What an incredible gift for believers to be able to travel anywhere in the world and be with “family” .

Thank you for praying for our family and the ministry in Uganda.

In Him,

Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee, and Liana

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Please Pray for Destiny Calhoon’s health. That she would be completely healed. Pray for her family as they go through this difficult time.

• Continue to Pray that we would truly “Arise and Shine” the light of Christ in this dark place.

• Continue to pray for the new believers at the church and from the market that they would remain strong in their faith and continue to grow.

• Pray for the men of Arise as they begin meeting together for a men’s Bible study and fellowship.

• Pray for Brian as pastors and leads our ministry team. Pray for all the ministries and leaders.

• Pray for Jill’s students at All Nations as they will have midterm exams this month.

• Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.