This email just came in from Faustin Malu, our coordinator for logistics of the schools in East Africa. They just made their first trip to Burundi where our School of Leadership was launched. The following email should reveal just how needed this training is in the lives of the leaders in the emerging church:
The trip was a success. I want to thank you for giving Pastor Kago, his wife and myself the opportunity to go. It took us a little over 30 hrs on the road and with the combined stops 45 hrs. So it took us almost 2 days to get there.
We drove into Bujumbura which is the capital City of Burundi. The place is really under developed but growing.
The location of the school was about 20 Kms from Bujumbura. We met at a church called Rama Church led by Bishop Michel Ndibuyswe( it's French and he is a guy :-)..) He is an awesome man of God with very many connections in that area. All the pastors and leaders came from the 7 churches he oversees.
The class took place for a period of 2 days. Each day we tackled a Module.( a total of 2 modules). We received a total of 54 students. They were so committed and open to the topics. It was amazing.
Some of the challenges we got were most of them don't speak English and the little Swahili they do speak is very shallow. So the class was taught/read in Swahili and translated in Burundi. They preferred it that way rather than translating the materials in French or Burundi. So we started at 7am in the morning and finished at 6:30 in the evening. This was due, of course, to the translating.
The other challenge was women are really looked down upon in this country. So the topics of marriage and the roles of husband and wife caused some tension. It stirred up emotions to the point 3/4 of the men stood up and left. It was funny. The great report is that at the end those same pastors came back and asked us if we could teach a class purely on marriage. The need is really great.
All in all they loved the class. They can't wait for us to return mid march next year. Again on Behalf of pastor Kago, his wife, the Burundi church and myself, we thank you all.
Summer 2011
Two powerful modules of training have been completed for the School of Leadership Development. The first is on “Christian Ethics” which deals with topics such as
Honoring God with Daily Decisions
The Foundation for Christ-Honoring Decisions
Marriage and Divorce
Sex and Sexuality
Addictions
Avoiding Ethical Landmines in Ministry
Treating Others with Compassion and Respect
The second module that was just completed is in the area of “Practical Church Issues”. The topics that are covered in this series of lessons include the following:
The Lord’s Supper
The Christian Wedding
The Christian Funeral
Planning a Worship Service
Pastoral Care and Counseling
Acts of Christian Dedication
Organization and Planning
An exploratory trip was made in August to Congo to see the possibilities of starting a leadership school. More information will come as details are given on this trip.
Spring 2011
In late March and early April, thirteen people from five states made the journey to Kenya to do numerous mission projects. The first week was action packed as President, Ron Hogue, and Andrew Rankin, (writer for the School of Leadership Development), taught close to one thousand church leaders who represented five East African nations (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Congo, and Burundi). These leaders came for four days of training where they were encouraged through worship, fellowship, and teaching. This event, hosted by the Clarence Matheny Ministries Conference Center, touches leaders who have no materials or resources to lead their churches. It is life changing for many!
Both Ron and Andrew spent time with the School of Leadership Development facilitators who are conducting schools all across Kenya with plans to expand into Uganda and Congo. These leaders shared the absolute need for this type of training for the emerging church leaders as they have no access to any training of this nature. Wow! What an opportunity to help lay the biblical foundation for these nations.
The second week targeted its ministry in the Northern Kenyan area called Baringo. In this region, several tribes are suffering due to the extreme drought conditions. Our medical team (which included two doctors and two nurses), was joined by the regional doctor of that area with two Kenyan nurses. We brought over $100,000 in medical supplies and treated two thousand people from that entire region. Some walked for days in order to see a doctor.
While there, each person was fed a meal substance created for the extremely malnourished. Due to the generosity of distributors from the company, XanGo, not only was every person fed who came to the medical clinic, but the children of two desperate schools were fed as well. These two schools comprised a total of six to seven hundred students. Families who were very remote and in great need were given the meal pack to take home. In addition, Ron Hogue with several team members journeyed into remote villages who had no food and delivered the meal packs in order to help relieve their desperate situations.
Several hundred people accepted Christ while standing in line to see the doctors which was an incredible blessing. Beyond this, Ron, Andrew, and team member, Jonathan Bingham, spoke to four hundred church leaders who came from the far reaches of Northern Kenya. These leaders had never had a conference of this type. They were helped more than words can say. As a result, a School of Leadership Development will be started in this region before the year is out.
Thank you again for those who gave, prayed, and went. It is always a blessing to be the hands, mouth, eyes, and heart of Jesus to those in need.
President Ron Hogue took a team of 8 to Nairobi, Kenya where they conducted a medical clinic in the Mathari slum which is a slum of 800,000 people. While the medical team was at work, Ron conducted a two day training seminar for all of the students who presently are attending one of the five schools of leadership development that Good Works NOW sponsors in and around the Nairobi area. About 100 leaders were present.
The team then went north of Nairobi to Maragat, Kenya to work with the Turkanna tribe. The village they worked in had about 8,000 displaced people who had no food, water, or medical help. The medical team saw about 1,500 people during the week. Beyond that, GWN teamed up with the Clarence Matheny Ministries in order to provide shoes, mosquito nets, and meals. In fact, about 2,000 people were fed with a powdered meal substance created by the company XanGo in order to rebuild their intestinal tracts. It was incredible to see the response of gratitude and hope from these needy and forsaken people.
Ron Hogue and Ronnie Matheny conducted a training seminar for about 100 leaders in the area as well. It was the FIRST training that had been brought to this area for these leaders. Many were in tears. It was a very moving experience.
To see highlights of the trip, watch the video below.
In May, GWN saw its first school of leadership training launched in Kampala, Uganda. About 30 leaders were in attendance. The amazing thing about this beginning is that GWN has had about 1,000 leaders ask to be trained. A huge door has opened which GWN is waiting to walk through as funds become available.
East Africa
2009 continues to be an incredible year of growth in East Africa. GWN president, Ron Hogue, spoke to over 1200 leaders from five countries in March. The statistics of what these leaders represent is staggering. These 1200 leaders represent…9,048 churches, 589,944 church members. (This does not reflect 2 bishops who oversee 2 major organizations which represent 900,000 members and another bishop who oversees 86,000 members)
Since that conference, David Waldrop has come on board full time starting five schools for GWN. One of these schools is in Swahili. All of the lessons are translated into Swahili and are recorded on CD by an indigenous pastor. Plans are in the works to begin 25 schools in 2010.
Jiri Nepal
The School begun in Jiri, Nepal continues with great enthusiasm. These leaders trek for days out of the Himalayaian Mountains to come to this remote outpost in order to study the Bible. GWN is the first organization to find and help these remote frontline leaders. Presently about 50 leaders are committed to the four year school of leadership development.
Honduras
President, Ron Hogue, spoke numerous times in several cities in Honduras in preparation for the launch of the School of Leadership Development. As result of his November trip, two schools will begin in March, 2010.
Hunger Project in Kenya
GWN is beginning a hunger project where people can donate funds in order to buy a substance that helps the most extreme malnourished survive. To find out more about this project, click here. A medical team will be traveling to Kenya in early April to give aid to those living in one of the most drought strickened areas. The meal substance mentioned above will be used to help the most malnourished.
Mexico
Andrew Rankin, board member and curriculum writer for GWN went to a mountainous region of Mexico to train leaders in October, 2009. From this trip, contacts were made that connected GWN to hundreds of remote pastors needing training. Yet another open door.
Board Member graduates to heaven
Dr. C. B. Hogue, father of founder, Ron Hogue, and board member of Good Works NOW, went home to be with the Lord on January 26, 2010 after a year long battle with cancer. He was 82. He will be greatly missed.
