The Global Church of the Nazarene Africa Region Newsletter for July 2016
"Out of Africa July 2016: Prayer for peace, a transformed life, and more" from The Africa Region of The Global Church of the Nazarene in Johannesburg, Gauteng South Africa for Tuesday, 19 July 2016
Table of contents
- Continued and Urgent Prayers for South Sudan
- A Testimony: God's Transformation
- God's Servant
- Uganda Central NYI Leaders Workshop
- Africa East Field Children's Training
- Prayer requests
Continued and Urgent Prayers for South SudanWe have been praying for South Sudan for three years, since civil war broke-out in December, 2013. There has been a peace agreement between the warring parties of Government and the Opposition Forces in August 2015, giving hope for the people for the restoration of permanent peace, but it did not work out well.
A South Sudanese Child Praying for PeaceOn July 8, 2016, it was reported that, "Heavy fighting has erupted inside South Sudan's presidential palace as a group of President Salva Kiir [soldiers] allegedly attempted to arrest his first deputy, Riek Machar, official sources have said. The source said the fighting started outside the Palace when President Kiir's security forces opened fire on bodyguards of the First Vice President, Riek Machar, who was inside the Palace for a presidency meeting."From July 8 until 12 July, there has been fighting until the ceasefire was declared. Sadly, there has been fighting for last three days (15-18 July). Currently, thousands of people are displaced, again, but the government is preventing them from leaving the country. They live in sad situations of fear and hunger. Thousands are being rooted out of their homes with many running to Kenya and Uganda, and still others are being detained or prevented from leaving the country. Some embassies have temporarily closed, while others, such as the US Embassy, have sent in military personnel to protect the embassy and personnel in the city of Juba.
As we have churches in most of the refugee camps, please continue praying for them in such a way that many will know Christ and his work in their lives. The situation still needs urgent prayer so that God may bring a solution to this crisis as we, in our humanness, do not know how it can end.[Rev. John Yual Nguth, Nazarene Missionary, East Africa]
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A Testimony: God's TransformationI had nothing to do with Jesus most of my life as I was Muslim. I had always been satisfied with religion and my beliefs, but God placed key people in my life to bring about a change in me. At one time, I was even baptized as a Christian, but eventually turned away from God.
I deceived myself with biased decisions, and I embarked on a crusade of Islamizing Christians. The spirit I felt was not one of love. I went from being a learning Christian to persecuting them. I challenged the Christian faith and in my quest to convince them that they were wrong, I pointed out the foolishness of the God of Christians hanging from a cross.
Stock Photo As a Muslim, I had shot my estranged partner in self-defense. I was arrested and put in jail for attempted murder. It was during this time that I miraculously bumped into "Gary", a devout Christian witnessing to Muslims. He invited me to a women's meeting for Muslim women. After attending this meeting, I entered into a covenant relationship with my Savior. I felt I really became a child of the living God. I realized then that I had made some terrible mistakes.
During the year-long wait for the final sentencing, I was harassed by the victim. He wanted me to take responsibility and denounce Christianity, as I was a new Christian. He even demanded I pay a large sum of money for pain and suffering. I questioned my choice to go through the courts and struggled as my jail-time increased.
During the trial period Gary and his wife, "Sherry", continued to give me the much needed support of love, security and encouragement in Christ. They worked tirelessly with me while I was out of jail awaiting trial, and they helped to connect me to Christians. They even helped me find a church that they felt was solid and a community I could be a part of. At first, I was not convinced because it was so far away, but Sherry organized transport for me every Sunday, and I became a part of the Church of the Nazarene in Durban, South Africa. God works all things out for those who love Him and serve Him, and I surely did not deserve it.
In 2014, I was found guilty of attempted murder and could potentially spend 10-15 years in prison. I found myself with a deep hole in my heart and a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. Eye-witnesses came forward with evidence to support my side of the story, and I finally told my local pastor what was going on, as I had kept this from him. He was then able to help me and support me.
I began recalling my actions of the past and started having conversations with God. I had denied Jesus a lot of times and felt despicable and ashamed to be in the presence of God. He showed me exactly what I had become, but He told me not to assume that He was as fickle as I was. In spite of this realization, I became suicidal and tried to take my life with pills. Thankfully, a Christian friend who had been helping me came to my door and saved me just in time.
As my sentencing date drew close, many Christians came alongside me and began to pray for me. Two o'clock in the afternoon was my sentencing time, and I knew people were praying. My pastor came and even testified on my behalf. After the pastor pleaded for leniency, the lawyer proceeded and questioned the wisdom of jail time, arguing that I had no criminal record and posed no threat to society.
It was at this instance that I noticed that the heaviness within me had lifted. I began to view the judge and the jury in a different way. I was feeling light and normal after so long. That day, God showed-up big in my life. In an unusual action, the judge presiding over the shooting trial changed his mind and gave me a 5 year suspended sentence with a $200 fine.
I had been a prisoner. But now, for the first time, I had been released from the prison of my sinful life, and I was brought into the light. It took time to heal and allow the Lord to restore what the devil had destroyed. I am not perfect. My solace, though, is in believing that I now have a much greater Father than I could ever hope for: a heavenly and eternal Father.
I believe that God has performed an amazing act of grace in my life and it is my personal ministry to tell others about Jesus. Through everything, I can look back and see God's mighty hand of grace applied at just the right time in my life. He sustained me for HIS purpose.[Anonymous--All names have been changed]
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God's ServantReverend Tee T. Latahn, Nazarene pastor, school director and radio host, lives in Karnplay, Liberia. He is from the Dan people group and speaks the Dan language. His congregation also speaks Dan, as do 5,000 Nazarenes on his district, plus an estimated 60-70,000 people in Liberia, and more outside of Liberia. Although Dan is spoken by many, written materials in Dan are scarce. Tee laments, "Most of the Bibles that were printed in the early 1980's are now disappearing." The scarcity and treasured nature of the Bible can be seen in his own tattered copy.
Recently, Tee and his wife had the opportunity to attend a translation summit in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, in which they finished the translation of the Articles of Faith in the Dan language. The conference meant a great deal to them. Having all of the Articles in Dan provides a great discipleship resource for those in the church, and also helps those who listen to their radio program. Tee said that he originally started his church by teaching about the church and sharing the Articles of Faith on the radio. "Many have called the radio station to ask for a written copy [of the Articles of Faith]." Some have walked long distances to the church after hearing them on the radio. One such listener who walked to the church and asked for a copy, gave $50 as a contribution toward their new church building. This was a very generous gift considering that some workers, especially in farming communities, make as little as one US dollar a day.
Tee explained that even those who opposed the church's holiness message in the beginning, are now embracing the message. Some have had a change of heart after listening to the radio programs.
In addition to pastoring a church and running a radio ministry, Tee is also the director of a school he started. He started the school during the civil war when many of the government schools were closed. Tee and his wife, Bouyanue, who teaches there, wanted to keep children from becoming child soldiers, which was very common in his area. He shares that before the war, they used to have limited materials to teach the Dan language, but now they do not have any.
In a country plagued with a history of civil war and more recently Ebola, the translation of Christian materials, like the Articles of Faith into Dan, offers hope to many in the church and beyond.
Authors Note: On April 9, one week after the interview, Tee's 10 year old son, Emmanuel, died when he fell from a tree. A few weeks prior to the release of this story, I received the following message from Tee:
"The death of Emman was a sad event . . . but by the help of our Lord, we are being consoled. Emman's death brought together thousands of friends, relatives and sympathizers of different backgrounds for one week. More than 10 were converted only because of our testimonies and devotional messages. Our God provided the means to feed all the people during the one week. We bless our Lord and thank all of you for praying."
Please continue to pray for Tee, Bouyanue and the Latahn family.[Mrs. Monica Carr, Nazarene Missionary, West Africa]
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Uganda Central NYI Leaders WorkshopNazarene Youth International Uganda Central Youth leader's workshop held at YMCA Conference Centre in Jinja Town on the 18th June 2016, was a big success.
During the year-long wait for the final sentencing, I was harassed by the victim. He wanted me to take responsibility and denounce Christianity, as I was a new Christian. He even demanded I pay a large sum of money for pain and suffering. I questioned my choice to go through the courts and struggled as my jail-time increased.
During the trial period Gary and his wife, "Sherry", continued to give me the much needed support of love, security and encouragement in Christ. They worked tirelessly with me while I was out of jail awaiting trial, and they helped to connect me to Christians. They even helped me find a church that they felt was solid and a community I could be a part of. At first, I was not convinced because it was so far away, but Sherry organized transport for me every Sunday, and I became a part of the Church of the Nazarene in Durban, South Africa. God works all things out for those who love Him and serve Him, and I surely did not deserve it.
In 2014, I was found guilty of attempted murder and could potentially spend 10-15 years in prison. I found myself with a deep hole in my heart and a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. Eye-witnesses came forward with evidence to support my side of the story, and I finally told my local pastor what was going on, as I had kept this from him. He was then able to help me and support me.
I began recalling my actions of the past and started having conversations with God. I had denied Jesus a lot of times and felt despicable and ashamed to be in the presence of God. He showed me exactly what I had become, but He told me not to assume that He was as fickle as I was. In spite of this realization, I became suicidal and tried to take my life with pills. Thankfully, a Christian friend who had been helping me came to my door and saved me just in time.
As my sentencing date drew close, many Christians came alongside me and began to pray for me. Two o'clock in the afternoon was my sentencing time, and I knew people were praying. My pastor came and even testified on my behalf. After the pastor pleaded for leniency, the lawyer proceeded and questioned the wisdom of jail time, arguing that I had no criminal record and posed no threat to society.
It was at this instance that I noticed that the heaviness within me had lifted. I began to view the judge and the jury in a different way. I was feeling light and normal after so long. That day, God showed-up big in my life. In an unusual action, the judge presiding over the shooting trial changed his mind and gave me a 5 year suspended sentence with a $200 fine.
I had been a prisoner. But now, for the first time, I had been released from the prison of my sinful life, and I was brought into the light. It took time to heal and allow the Lord to restore what the devil had destroyed. I am not perfect. My solace, though, is in believing that I now have a much greater Father than I could ever hope for: a heavenly and eternal Father.
I believe that God has performed an amazing act of grace in my life and it is my personal ministry to tell others about Jesus. Through everything, I can look back and see God's mighty hand of grace applied at just the right time in my life. He sustained me for HIS purpose.[Anonymous--All names have been changed]
-------
God's ServantReverend Tee T. Latahn, Nazarene pastor, school director and radio host, lives in Karnplay, Liberia. He is from the Dan people group and speaks the Dan language. His congregation also speaks Dan, as do 5,000 Nazarenes on his district, plus an estimated 60-70,000 people in Liberia, and more outside of Liberia. Although Dan is spoken by many, written materials in Dan are scarce. Tee laments, "Most of the Bibles that were printed in the early 1980's are now disappearing." The scarcity and treasured nature of the Bible can be seen in his own tattered copy.
Rev. Tee
For the past 13 years, Tee and his wife Bouyanue have had a radio ministry with a listenership in the tens of thousands. "We usually give our message in English and then give a summary translation in the Dan language," he explains. "Unlike other radio producers who only use English, our [program] has caught the attention of many Dan listeners. Many listeners want to get a copy of the Dan language Bible. In the past, we have translated parts of the [Nazarene] Articles of Faith and also had a mini-conference with pastors for three days [to discuss them] and then they later took copies to their churches. At the National Conference in Ganta, we shared our work on the Articles of Faith with the other zonal leaders and pastors."Recently, Tee and his wife had the opportunity to attend a translation summit in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, in which they finished the translation of the Articles of Faith in the Dan language. The conference meant a great deal to them. Having all of the Articles in Dan provides a great discipleship resource for those in the church, and also helps those who listen to their radio program. Tee said that he originally started his church by teaching about the church and sharing the Articles of Faith on the radio. "Many have called the radio station to ask for a written copy [of the Articles of Faith]." Some have walked long distances to the church after hearing them on the radio. One such listener who walked to the church and asked for a copy, gave $50 as a contribution toward their new church building. This was a very generous gift considering that some workers, especially in farming communities, make as little as one US dollar a day.
Tee explained that even those who opposed the church's holiness message in the beginning, are now embracing the message. Some have had a change of heart after listening to the radio programs.
In addition to pastoring a church and running a radio ministry, Tee is also the director of a school he started. He started the school during the civil war when many of the government schools were closed. Tee and his wife, Bouyanue, who teaches there, wanted to keep children from becoming child soldiers, which was very common in his area. He shares that before the war, they used to have limited materials to teach the Dan language, but now they do not have any.
In a country plagued with a history of civil war and more recently Ebola, the translation of Christian materials, like the Articles of Faith into Dan, offers hope to many in the church and beyond.
Authors Note: On April 9, one week after the interview, Tee's 10 year old son, Emmanuel, died when he fell from a tree. A few weeks prior to the release of this story, I received the following message from Tee:
"The death of Emman was a sad event . . . but by the help of our Lord, we are being consoled. Emman's death brought together thousands of friends, relatives and sympathizers of different backgrounds for one week. More than 10 were converted only because of our testimonies and devotional messages. Our God provided the means to feed all the people during the one week. We bless our Lord and thank all of you for praying."
Please continue to pray for Tee, Bouyanue and the Latahn family.[Mrs. Monica Carr, Nazarene Missionary, West Africa]
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Uganda Central NYI Leaders WorkshopNazarene Youth International Uganda Central Youth leader's workshop held at YMCA Conference Centre in Jinja Town on the 18th June 2016, was a big success.
Uganda Central NYI President, Bogere Seezi, spearheaded this crucial and timely event. The workshop was opened up by D.S., Rev. Nathan Menya, and attended by youth leaders from the different zones and Nazarene churches from around the district.
This day served to unify all youth leaders on our district, as some leaders were meeting for the very first time. Our NYI President reminded us about the NYI mission and vision, the NYI guiding principles and the role of leaders. This served as a good reminder as to why we as youth leaders do what we do. This indeed, brought, and will continue to bring, about uniformity in the focus of youth ministry in the various local churches on our district.
The NYI president called upon local church NYI leaders to carry out purposeful youth ministry based on ministry plans and have an optimistic attitude when faced with challenges such as scarcity of resources. He emphasized effective communication within the NYI network and with the general church leadership, most especially with the pastors and local church boards. In this line, he introduced the now famous slogan on the entire district: "UNITED WE BARGAIN, DIVIDED WE BEG". At this gathering, challenges and opportunities were shared by local NYI presidents and discussions were conducted about the same, including conversations about our involvement in urban ministry in nearby cities and towns. Through such sharing, "weak" leaders were encouraged while active leaders were further motivated. At the pinnacle of the workshop, upcoming events were introduced and endorsed including; the mid-year District Youth Conference (August 2016); NYC in Johannesburg(December 2016); District NYC (January 2017).
In all, for me as a leader, this workshop bridged the unity gap in the NYI leadership and equipped us with the knowledge that NYI exists for youth, NYI embraces unity and diversity and NYI focuses on Christ. Indeed, we all left ready to submit, obey and humble ourselves for service with modesty and humility.[Hilda Sama, Member NYI Council Uganda Central District]
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Africa East Field Children's Training
Within the structure of Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries, the districts from the countries of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda each have a team leader to help encourage and train their children's Sunday School teachers. From 25-28 June, these leaders were able to come together in the country of Tanzania to receive training, inspiration and encouragement in the form of a field training event.
Janet Achieng, Jasron Akoyi and Sarah Reed led this group for a time of spiritual
inspiration, training and encouragement. The team leaders were helped through practical games, workshops and times of discussion and fellowship. By the end of the week, each team leader received a certificate for their training, and they were returning home with valuable tools and ideas to inspire the Sunday School teachers on their districts.
In addition to the team leaders from the various districts, Dr. Leon Blanchette and a
This day served to unify all youth leaders on our district, as some leaders were meeting for the very first time. Our NYI President reminded us about the NYI mission and vision, the NYI guiding principles and the role of leaders. This served as a good reminder as to why we as youth leaders do what we do. This indeed, brought, and will continue to bring, about uniformity in the focus of youth ministry in the various local churches on our district.
The NYI president called upon local church NYI leaders to carry out purposeful youth ministry based on ministry plans and have an optimistic attitude when faced with challenges such as scarcity of resources. He emphasized effective communication within the NYI network and with the general church leadership, most especially with the pastors and local church boards. In this line, he introduced the now famous slogan on the entire district: "UNITED WE BARGAIN, DIVIDED WE BEG". At this gathering, challenges and opportunities were shared by local NYI presidents and discussions were conducted about the same, including conversations about our involvement in urban ministry in nearby cities and towns. Through such sharing, "weak" leaders were encouraged while active leaders were further motivated. At the pinnacle of the workshop, upcoming events were introduced and endorsed including; the mid-year District Youth Conference (August 2016); NYC in Johannesburg(December 2016); District NYC (January 2017).
In all, for me as a leader, this workshop bridged the unity gap in the NYI leadership and equipped us with the knowledge that NYI exists for youth, NYI embraces unity and diversity and NYI focuses on Christ. Indeed, we all left ready to submit, obey and humble ourselves for service with modesty and humility.[Hilda Sama, Member NYI Council Uganda Central District]
-------
Africa East Field Children's Training
Within the structure of Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries, the districts from the countries of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda each have a team leader to help encourage and train their children's Sunday School teachers. From 25-28 June, these leaders were able to come together in the country of Tanzania to receive training, inspiration and encouragement in the form of a field training event.
Janet Achieng, Jasron Akoyi and Sarah Reed led this group for a time of spiritual
inspiration, training and encouragement. The team leaders were helped through practical games, workshops and times of discussion and fellowship. By the end of the week, each team leader received a certificate for their training, and they were returning home with valuable tools and ideas to inspire the Sunday School teachers on their districts.
In addition to the team leaders from the various districts, Dr. Leon Blanchette and a
team of 5 young men from Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Illinois, USA, joined the celebration to help encourage and inspire the district team leaders, as well as some pastors from across the country of Tanzania. It was wonderful time of refreshing and renewal for our Sunday School leaders on the Africa East Field. 
[Africa East Field Children's Ministries]
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PRAYER REQUESTS
[Africa East Field Children's Ministries]
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PRAYER REQUESTS
- In the last week, there has been renewed violence in South Sudan. Our missionary working there has asked for prayer for this country as it has been a week of extreme bloodshed.
- Continue to remember our brothers and sisters who face religious persecution across our continent.
- Pray for the NYC Africa 2016 that will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 14-18 December 2016.
- Continue to pray for the drought conditions that persist in southern Africa. Certain areas have been declared a state of disaster. Additionally, Ethiopia is experiencing its worst drought in decades, with more than 10 million people needing emergency aid.
The Nazarene Church is in 42 countries in Africa, with more than 600,000 members in six fields.
What would you like to see in Out of Africa?
Email us at news@africanazarene.org.
English / Français/ Português 
@NazAfrica
Mrs. Shelly Miller, editor
Africa Region Church of the Nazarene
What would you like to see in Out of Africa?
Email us at news@africanazarene.org.
English / Français/ Português @NazAfrica Mrs. Shelly Miller, editor
Africa Region Church of the Nazarene
17 Botes Street
Johannesburg, Gauteng South Africa
Out of Africa
Africa Region Church of the Nazarene
Out of Africa
Africa Region Church of the Nazarene
17 Botes Street
Johannesburg, Gauteng South Africa
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