It is a new year and we have new Foxfire teams across Africa, ready to joyfully and wholeheartedly serve God.
In Malawi the Foxfires were patiently waiting for the schools to open up on the 22nd of February so they can start reaching out to schools and youth groups. The Foxfires in South Africa have started a social media initiative called “Let’s talk” where they share a one minute video each week, speaking God’s truth and encouraging youth through the platform they prefer.
When COVID-19 forced everyone into lockdown, our 4 Foxfire teams were reaching out to friends, family and neighbours during lockdown. Supporting and encouraging others through the difficult time. Not only does Foxfires have a lasting impact on the youth that they reach out to, but being a Foxfire impacts the life of each young adult enrolled in the program.
Precious Owoko recently shared the impact being a Foxfire had on her life. She was a part of the Kenya Foxfires Youth Empowerment Program back in 2018.
“I am Precious Owoko a student currently at Laikipia University in Nyahururu, Kenya, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media. Today I take a short reflection of my tenure during the Foxfires Youth Empowerment Program in 2018 and the impact it has had in my life. I am glad that I gave part of my life to serve my fellow youth. I was effectively prepared to become a better person today. I am never the same!!
Foxfires program prepares one for the youth related ministry within the year and life after the program. It’s an important bridge that greatly equipped me for life in campus. The program fortified me with relevant skills that have enabled me to be focused in life and aim at the goals that I set while serving with AE. My leadership skills were enhanced, fine-tuned and refocused. I was able to discover amazing leadership abilities that I had not thought of. Today I serve the students as the class representative for the communication and media group. I am representing more than 300 students on the relevant meetings. I know that the confidence I portray was cemented in me during the foxfires program.
Foxfires made me esteem the ministry of young people. Once I enrolled in campus, I joined the Christian Union Movement (C.U). I wanted to serve and reach many with the Gospel. The skills of evangelism and discipleship have helped me to be involved in person to person witnessing and other missions aimed at reaching the student leaders. I have also helped in the rebranding of the arts department as a tool of reaching out the youth with skits, drama and dancing. This has greatly helped the Christian union to attract more students thus coming to experience Christ. Today, I am greatly honoured that I am serving the Christian Union as the secretary, a position that I only serve by God’s grace. There were many students who could have been elected to this position but I was favoured by God. My exposure during FYEP, to different youth ministry across Kenya has greatly improved my performance. Communication skills was a critical course in Foxfires that has helped me become better in handling the CU related communication. Recently, I was chosen by different Christian Unions within the Kenyan Central region as the secretary general of consortium of 11 Christian Unions. I can only attribute such as this achievement to AE FYEP.
The daily devotions that involved the reading of the word of God and prayers created in me a discipline of prayer and bible study. Some ask how I manage to keep track of my devotional life, I only share with them my experience in the FYEP.
I have been able to help others who have been in difficult life related issues. The knowledge gained in Foxfires has been a source of wealth that I have constantly used to walk with others. I am happy that I can continue with the ministry of Foxfires even in campus. I am still setting the youth ablaze for Christ!
Today I know how to deal with peer pressure, handle relationships, financial management and saving skills, conflict management, balance between academic and my other roles and other courses handled while in FYEP.
I am proud to have been a Foxfire and to be continuing with the theme of Once a Foxfire, Always a Foxfire. I know supporting FYEP program is making a difference in many. It’s transforming the young people during the tenure and after the program. It’s never in vain.
God bless the Foxfires Youth Empowerment Program.”
Thank you for supporting our Foxfire teams in Africa and for impacting the lives of many young adults.
The Meru North Hope Mission 2020, organised by African Enterprise Kenya in partnership with Meru North Churches started off on Saturday, 17th October 2020.
In the months leading up to this mission, AE Kenya trained 1,112 local evangelists and mission volunteers. More than 500 of these evangelists and mission volunteers were able to participate in the daily mission activities despite the restrictions and challenges brought on by the pandemic. A team of 31 evangelists also joined the mission all the way from Nairobi.
AE Kenya partnered with 126 local churches for the Meru North Hope mission and together they used Home Based Evangelism, Street Evangelism, radio and television to bring a message of hope in Jesus to the people of Meru North.
Highlights:
- 8,839 people reached through face to face encounters
- Thousands reached through radio broadcasts
- 1,779 decisions for Christ recorded
Radio broadcasts provided a significantly large, although unquantifiable, reach into the homes of thousands. There were broadcasts on radio every night and messages were also given by AE team members on Meru TV. Please continue to pray with us that those who heard the Good News will believe and commit to follow Jesus.
One of the concerns that the team came across in Meru North, was the young age that girls were marrying and raising families. The youngest they came across was a 17 year old mother of two. AE Kenya requests that we pray with them that Christ would bring peace and hope to many young girls who have married very early in difficult situations, and that God would turn the tide on the social ills that aggravate this situation.
Doreen (17) has been able to turn down the many advances of marriage but have always felt something was lacking in her life. She was forced to leave school at a very young age because of financial constraints. After meeting two street evangelists she said the following about her face to face encounter:
“Two strangers approached me and started a light conversation with me which then led to them asking about my salvation life. They then proceeded to share with me the Gospel and I immediately felt something within me bursting with joy. I gave my life to Christ and they prayed with me. I am overjoyed and confident now that my life will take a turn for the best. I will now walk a life of faith and share the good news with my peers. Thank you, AE, for guiding me to the right decision.”
You can find more stories and testimonies like Doreen’s on our Facebook page.
The Meru Mission concluded on the 25th of October. Please pray with us that the seed of the Gospel will bear fruit in the hearts of all who have heard and for effective discipleship of those who made decisions for Christ.
Missions in a COVID-19 world.
Our teams have refused to give up on the Great Commission, despite incredibly challenging circumstances in Africa.
Evangelism is the heartbeat of African Enterprise. We exist to share the eternal hope of the Gospel, and this hasn’t changed. In 2020, AE has developed a home-based evangelism (HBE) approach to share the Good News of Jesus, in spite of COVID restrictions.
The HBE model equips believers to share the Gospel with their families and neighbours, in a structured and effective way. The approach focuses on personal evangelism, on a large scale. Mission volunteers facilitate home gatherings, where a pre-recorded or live Gospel message is shared using television, radio, mobile phone or social media platforms. The Gospel broadcast is followed by a personal testimony and an invitation to follow Christ, extended by the HBE facilitator.
Between mid-April and July 2020, our AE teams trained 2,590 pastors and volunteers in the HBE approach, and have found the approach holds enormous potential for evangelism, as well as discipleship. For example, one church in Lukunga, DRC, was able to share Christ with at least 945 people, in multiple homes, on a single Sunday.
One mission volunteer in Kenya, Nancy, has shared the Gospel with over 300 people since the HBE approach was implemented there in May. When she shared the Gospel with a Facebook acquaintance, the 24-year old Margaret, Nancy had no idea that Margaret was suicidal. Nancy describes:
“I shared the Gospel and she made a commitment for salvation during one of our phone calls. The following day we met and from that time, we have created a relationship that is exceptional. It is wonderful to see the great transformation Christ has brought to this sister. She is now happy in the Lord. Today, as I see her smiling, I often have the sobering thought that, if the Gospel had not come her way, she would possibly not be alive!”
Our brothers and sisters in Africa are passionate for the cause of Christ, and our support means so much as they choose to “preach the word of God” and “be prepared, whether the time is favourable or not” (2 Timothy 4:2).
“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed” (Proverbs 19:17).
Through your recent gifts, you have shown God’s love in action amongst communities that are reliant on a hand-up in difficult times. Through you we were able to send emergency funds to each of our teams in Africa as a part of a local community led response to ensure sustainable approach to Covid-19 prevention. These funds were much needed as poverty-stricken communities were in urgent need of food and hygiene supplies as they continue to develop much needed vocational skills to support their families in a healthy way.
Below follows a short update of what you have helped make possible through the work of our various teams to address community needs during this crisis period.
AE DRC have worked hard to give hope through TV engagements, and distributing sanitation stations to 96 communities which included a bucket, soap, sanitiser and reusable facemasks and food hampers.
AE Ethiopia have given out 300 facemasks, food hampers and hygiene and sanitation products to date.
AE Ghana have distributed food to 5,000 families with the assistance of the women’s training project in Akropong, Akuapem and their successful Cassava plantation.
Our Soweto Kayole Clinic at AE Kenya has given medical assistance to 1252 patients so far. The team has also distributed 1345 food hampers and 700 facemasks. In addition to this, the team is working hard to give messages of hope and educating people through TV, radio and social media on COVID awareness and prevention. They have reached 6907 people through media engagements so far.
AE Malawi have distributed 110 facemasks and hygiene and sanitation items to families in need. The team has also donated blood which is such a great gesture during this time of need. They have reached 3000 households through media engagements and continue with training pastors and home based evangelism for their upcoming mission in September.
Initially AE Tanzania had challenges due to government regulations. They have only recently been authorised to start distributing food and other supplies. So far they have provided 3 schools with hand soap and buckets and they have also distributed sanitiser and facemasks to bus and boda (taxi) drivers.
AE Rwanda has been very blessed and very busy, distributing 23 560 food hampers, 1000 facemasks and 3200 hygiene and sanitation items. They have also been able to reach 98 000 people through media engagements.
The Ngezandla Zethu Sewing project run by AE South Africa are currently busy sewing 2500 reusable facemasks for distribution. The AE team have also given out 4956 hampers with food and hygiene and sanitation products. They have distributed 300 facemasks so far and have reached 68 000 people through media engagements.
AE Zambia distributed water buckets, soap and hand sanitiser to a local school and have also given out 300 facemasks in Kaunda Square.
AE Zimbabwe have distributed 150 facemasks and 5000 hygiene and sanitation items. They have also given out food hampers and sanitation items to people with albinism who were in dire need of such provisions.
Thank you for partnering with us to help those in need in Africa and show the love of Jesus in word and deed. Please continue to pray for our teams as they carefully and faithfully serve in their communities in the desperate time of need. Our teams in Africa are so grateful for your love and support.
Prayer is such an important part of supporting African Enterprise. It’s one of the gifts you can give Africa – your time in prayer. And Africa needs your prayers now more than ever.
A couple of months ago when we compiled our Prayer Diary for May, June and July, we did not know the challenges that we would be facing. As always we look at our calendar and prepare the prayer points around the mission activities happening during that month. This time however, what we planned three months ago has changed enormously from what we are currently facing. The number of coronavirus infections are increasing drastically daily in Africa and more than ever we need to pray for our teams and the people in Africa.
As our CEO, Ben Campbell mentioned in the Prayer Diary:
“Please pray especially for the vulnerable refugee populations, and other marginalised communities, that have less access to help. In all things, our hope and confidence remain firmly in the Lord! As Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) says: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” May God bless, strengthen and encourage you today, as you continue to pray for the salvation and healing of people in Africa. “
Throughout June and July, please join with us in prayer for all of our AE Teams. They are all facing unprecedented times. We will keep you up to date with all the latest articles and responses from our teams as far as possible on our website and facebook page.
Updated prayer requests will also be uploaded to the PrayerMate App.
We are also in the last few days of our Prayer and Fasting Season ending on Pentecost Sunday with a Global Day of Prayer.
Additionally, let us know if you are interested in starting or joining a prayer group. It can be among you and your friends, families, colleagues or members of your church. You can meet face to face or online and as frequent as you want. Let’s gather in the name of Jesus and pray for Africa. Please send an email directly to ae@aeint.org if you would like to be part of or to start a prayer group.
Thank you for spending time in prayer for African Enterprise.
Discipleship in the midst of a pandemic.
The Kenya Foxfires Youth Empowerment Program 2020 started off with great expectations and zeal. Before the COVID-19 epidemic, the team completed their induction training and then participated in the following:
- A mission in Kawangware, Nairobi with Open House Global Mission Church. The team conducted one on one evangelism, open air meetings and outreach to street children. In this mission, 301 people were reached with the Gospel with and 45 making commitment for Christ.
- Reaching the teens at Nairobi Chapel Karen on Sundays. They have so far reached 250 Teens with 4 giving their lives to Christ.
- The team has also participated in community work at Soweto Kayole Clinic that is run by AE in one of the slums in Nairobi.
- School and University ministry, the team has reached 2011 students with 123 committing their lives to Christ.
As in any other part of the world, the Foxfires 2020 has also been affected by the Covid-19. The team had to move back to their homes and schools and churches were closed by the government. This resulted in the team having to find ways to reach out and make a difference in their communities through online platforms.
“We maintain contact as a team via zoom every Wednesday to pray together, strategise for ministry, encourage each other and remind each other that God is still in control.”
Here are some examples of how the team is continuing with their discipleship:
Lydia, an intern in Eldoret is making a difference by reaching out to university students on Whatsapp. A lot of students are feeling anxious and Lydia reminds them that God is in control. She encourages them to do online courses to keep busy and she also spends time in prayer for these students.
“I am very excited that at such a time I am making a difference among my fellow youths. Let’s all make a difference wherever we are.”
Branden is wisely spending his time back in Kakamega by learning new skills online and spending more time with God. He also reaches out to his friends with a message of
“Have hope and be positive.”
Denis chooses to be a beacon of hope in his community of Thika where he lives with his mother. They own a shop and Denis has made it his mission to disciple to the customers.
“I credit the great efforts of the Foxfires Program into making me fearless in passing the message of hope to many.”
With this approach: Ministry from a Distance, God will still minister to his people through this team.
- Pray for the Foxfires, that they will keep the fire burning.
- Pray for their protection and safety in this period of time together with their families.
- Pray for provision of everything they need that their parents will lack nothing.
- Pray for the country of Kenya and the world as a whole.
- Pray for the youth. That they not fall but will anchor their hope and faith in Christ.
